Nanocontainers to treat narrowed arteries

Researchers from the University of Basel in Switzerland have developed a new treatment to combat the leading cause of death worldwide. Atherosclerosis, or the hardening and narrowing of the arteries that causes deadly cardiovascular diseases, can be treated with drugs, but intravenous injections of these drugs can come with unwanted side effects. New “nanocontainers” may be able to release medication more efficiently to specific targeted sites. The nanocontainers move freely through normal blood flow, opening by the shear force of moving through constricted arteries, releasing the drug locally. They are formed through hydrating and heating naturally occurring molecules to create lenses. This morphology can lead to instabilities along their equators, making it possible for the drugs to be released under high shear stress.