Drug Shows Promise in Preventing Restenosis

A new drug has shown the ability in animals to prevent macrophages from accumulating in arteries treated by angioplasty, thereby preventing new blockages from occurring in the arteries.

Macrophages are sent to a blocked area after angioplasty to help the area heal. In many cases, as many as 30-40%, the accumulation of macrophages in this area causes a new blockage to form. The new drug, designed to prevent this restenosis, is applied prior to angioplasty. The drug consists of nano-sized liposomes, each containing a molecule that is toxic to macrophages. Since the macrophages do not recognize that the vesicles contain a toxic molecule, they ingest the vesicles, causing the macrophages to die. To date, the drug has been used successfully to treat rats, pigs, and rabbits. Clinical trials are expected to begin this year.

The medication operates like a Trojan horse, explained Prof. Gershon Golomb, chairman of the School of Pharmacy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel), who designed the new medication. For his work, Prof. Gershon received a Kaye Award. The Kaye Innovations Awards at Hebrew University were established to encourage faculty, staff, and students of the university to develop innovative methods and inventions with good commercial potential that will benefit the university and society.




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