Penn State recently presented a new development that allows an advanced approach to helping the natural proteins in the human body recognize nanomedicines more effectively during treatments. The main interest of the research is to have the biological proteins refrain from repelling the solutions due to their foreign properties.
In previous studies, the unmodified nanoparticles are usually targetted by factors that induce the immune system known as the complement proteins. This process is considered a protective response from the natural guards of our bodies. However, the administration of the nanoparticles leads to an inflammatory reaction that blocks the functions of the treatments. This is why therapeutic treatments through nanoparticles are not yet perfected and often result in failure.
Medicinal Nanoparticles vs. Complement Protein Attacks
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania attempted to create a medical invention that coats the nanoparticles with natural suppressors to solve the problem. In this method, the treatments will identify that would let them pass through without any proteins blocking each of their corresponding structures.
Nanoparticles are commonly developed in a capsule form and engineered with structures from far-related molecules and selected proteins types. Today, these medicinal nanoparticles could serve as tiny vehicles for the transportation of treatment varieties, including vaccines that contain DNA or RNAs. in recent advancements of the nanomedicines, the scientific community was able to develop mRNA-based vaccines that could relay COVID-19 vaccines.
Medical treatments that require DNA and RNA solutions heavily rely on bloodstream administration, as it is the quickest and most effective approach towards a targeted organ. Previous medical operations allow many harmless viruses as vessels for certain treatments, but nanoparticles have become the best alternative in the modern era of the health industry.
The only thing that hinders the power of nanoparticles in the medical field is the limiting aspects of the complement attacks brought by proteins. These proteins have an intense protective measure that they even categorize nanoparticles as harmful foreign organisms such as bad bacteria invaders. The reaction pushes white blood cells to gang up nanomedicines, preventing them from reaching their target destination, leading to unsuccessful treatment.
Factor I Inhibitors Could Protect Nanomedicines During Administration of Treatments
Even though recent studies tried to apply polyethylene glycol (PEG) camouflage to the nanoparticles, the same problem still ensues. Due to the complement attacks, both bloodstream and muscle works administrated in the body show less than one percent of efficacy.
The authors concluded a new alternative by borrowing an aspect from the natural complement inhibitor proteins themselves. Through modification and bloodstream travel, the experts were able to effectively attach the nanomedicines to the human cells, all without the intervention of complement attacks.
An inhibitor called Factor I was observed to have a significantly better capacity to protect the nanomedicines. The examination was made possible through the help of mice subjects. According to a report by PhysOrg, pharmacology expert, and co-author, Jacob Myerson said that the solution they constructed was derived from the ability of many bacterias to evade the complement attacks, and it did work for nanoparticles.
Further studies will be conducted to incorporate the Factor I inhibitor into the nanomedicines in a much better approach and administer the treatments in human subjects. Alongside nanoparticles, the team is also planning to develop protections for other medical mediums such as stents, dialysis tubes, and catheters. The study was published in the journal Advanced Materials, titled "Combating Complement's Deleterious Effects on Nanomedicine by Conjugating Complement Regulatory Proteins to Nanoparticles."
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