The research was published in the leading journal Advanced Materials.
Professor Hagemeyer, Head of the Vascular Biotechnology Laboratory at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute said, “this latest step offers a revolutionary difference between the current treatments for blood clots and what might be possible in the future.”
This life saving treatment could be administered by paramedics in emergency situations without the need for specialised equipment as is currently the case.
They have created a nanocapsule that contains a clot-busting drug. The drug-loaded nanocapsule is coated with an antibody that specifically targets activated platelets, the cells that form blood clots.
Once located at the site of the blood clot, thrombin (a molecule at the centre of the clotting process) breaks open the outer layer of the nanocapsule, releasing the clot-busting drug. The blood clotting system is then effectively hijacked to initiate the removal of the blockage in the blood vessel.
The targeted drug with its novel delivery method can potentially offer a safer alternative with fewer side effects for people suffering a heart attack or stroke.
“Up to 55,000 Australians experience a heart attack or suffer a stroke every year.”
“About half of the people who need a clot-busting drug can’t use the current treatments because the risk of serious bleeding is too high”.
In the same way, recently, a team at University of Leeds have developed a new technology which uses a small device called Glucosense Monitor with low-powered lasers to measure blood glucose levels without penetrating the skin. It could give people a simpler, pain-free alternative to finger pricking. This device could transform the lives of millions of people living with diabetes. The heart of this new technology is using a piece of nano-engineered silica glass along with a low-powered laser to measure the concentration of glucose in blood.
Similarly, at the start of this year, MIT chemical engineers have designed a new type of self-healing nanogel that could be injected through a syringe. Such gels can carry one or two drugs at a time. They are useful for treating cancer or heart disease. This property allows the use of syringe or needle to inject them into the body without surgery.
