Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have created an antibody-based immunotherapy that has demonstrated the ability to shrink arterial plaques.
According to the journal Science, this novel approach holds the potential to augment current treatments for coronary artery disease. The therapy utilizes a laboratory-engineered synthetic antibody designed to eliminate inflammation-causing cells within the vessel walls. In experiments with mice exhibiting atherosclerosis, the removal of these specific cells resulted in a reduction of plaque volume and an improvement in plaque stability.
In collaboration with the company Amgen, the research team developed a molecule capable of binding to modified smooth muscle cells, thereby triggering lymphocytes to destroy them. To identify suitable targets, the researchers examined the genes and proteins of 150,000 cells extracted from 27 coronary arteries of individuals who had undergone heart transplantation. They discovered that fibroblast activation protein served as an effective marker on the surface of vascular cells.
Dr. Kory J. Lavine, the study’s lead author, noted that this type of therapy was initially conceived for cancer treatment. “We observed that these cells reside in the areas of the plaque most prone to rupture,” he explained. The team also developed a tracer molecule to detect accumulations of these cells in imaging scans of patients with coronary artery disease.
The technology is currently undergoing laboratory evaluation. The researchers have cautioned about potential risks, including the possibility of a severe immune response and potential harm to healthy tissues that also express the target protein. Further validation of the method’s efficacy is necessary, given the anatomical differences between mouse and human vasculature, and the accelerated development of the disease in the animal model over just a few weeks.
About the Author
