Nanotechnology discovers who is prone to myocardial

In industrialized countries, every other man died of a heart attack or stroke. By now it was impossible to make predictions about individual who is more to experience a heart attack. That could soon change.

Healthy blood vessels are smooth on the inside. Blood cells are not nice for them. So easy to transport oxygen to the muscles where it was needed. Until there is some inflammation, it works just fine. Inflammation in fact result in blood vessel walls. It is a matrix protein-Metaloprotezen (MMP)

MMP then causes damage to the original smooth wall of blood vessels. Through the damage to white blood cells called leukocytes, penetrate the cell walls, where grade calcification, atherosclerotic plaque and so begins a vicious cycle, says Michael Šefers the University Clinic in Münster:

"Through the infection more white blood cells, penetrate the blood vessel wall and plaque becomes thicker. This causes muscle cells to the infected area of ​​building some sort of vault. Then MMP erode the vault. Then he could burst blood vessel in that place, which would shut down the court and cause a heart attack. When this happens the blood vessel supplying the brain, a stroke occurs. "

A view inside the patient

For forecasts in turn, is likely a heart attack and stroke, it is not enough to know how to feed a man, if he moves, how hard, and whether smoking. Doctors need to know if dangerous inflammation in blood vessels. And to have to look inside the patient's body.

Already, doctors can be sure to identify the patient's body. For example, when a patient injects a special liquid, blood vessels in the CT-scanner to become visible. This device is a true three-dimensional X-ray picture that shows the blood vessels that, due to ubrizganoj liquids, become visible. If there is inflammation or narrowing of blood vessels, doctors to be easily identified.

Nanotechnology offers the possibility of earlier diagnosed Nanotechnology offers the possibility of earlier diagnosis, "The problem that we have on this occasion is that we do not see the blood vessel, where the anomaly occurred, where the disease, ie. inflammation of. We see the only means that the real contrast in the courts. In the meantime, we come to know that heart attacks occur in areas where the narrowing of the very small or non-existent, "explains Dr. Šefers.

Calcified parts of the blood vessels are visible on the CT-scanner, because the thicker the blood cells, but even those not sure indicator that there will be a heart attack, "there may be calcified deposits and 20 years after the inflammation, but inflammation is no longer active. It is not enough just to know if there has been a narrowing of a blood vessel or calcified plaque. "

Successful tests on mice

The solution offers nanotechnology. Researchers have been able to build molecules that bind to proteins cause infection. These molecules are called "inventors" (Tracer), as this inflammation becomes visible on the CT-scanner, "the inventor or 'tracer' mixed with radioactive or floroscentnim colors, and then thanks to the light or radioactivity can be measured. That's easy to see the molecular composition of individual organs. "

The scientists in experiments on mice were able to form three-dimensional images arteriosclerosis inflammation. If they succeeded in applying this technique in humans, we could predict for each patient's particular risk of heart attack.

"Also when we see that the amount of MMP exist, we can say: The man who is present in greater quantities of MMP, there is a higher risk of heart attack, the man with whom there is less MMP, the smaller the risk. Then we can define separately for each individual to say: You need more intensive therapy, and you do not, "said Dr. Šefers.

Early diagnosis and other diseases

This technique offers opportunities for diagnostics and other diseases, in which early identification is crucial for successful treatment, said Dr. Andreas Jordan, a pioneer in the clinical utility of nanotechnology. For example in the case of cancer and multiple sclerosis, inflammation of the central nervous system, the treatment is effective only when early detection otherwise paralysis leading to death.

"Basically, it takes us in the following way: if something we can discover when we discover early on that such a disease, we can develop specific therapeutic values ​​and concept," explains Andreas Jordan.