• Nanoparticle reduces skin and lung scarr

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Monday, March 07, 2022 21:30:48
    Nanoparticle reduces skin and lung scarring for scleroderma, mouse study
    finds
    The findings provide promise of targeted treatment for patients with the disease

    Date:
    March 7, 2022
    Source:
    Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
    Summary:
    Researchers found a unique immune cell plays a key role in the
    chronic inflammation and scarring in the lungs and skin of people
    with scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis. After injecting mice
    with biodegradable PLG nanoparticles, which are used in medical
    sutures, researchers found that the nanoparticles specifically
    targeted these inflammatory cells and prevented skin and lung
    fibrosis. Researchers say it's a promising step towards targeted
    treatment for patients with early scleroderma.



    FULL STORY ========================================================================== Investigators have discovered that a biodegradable nanoparticle used in
    medical sutures could combat a rare, sometimes-fatal autoimmune disease.


    ========================================================================== Researchers found that a unique macrophage, an immune cell that removes bacteria or dead cells, plays a key role in the chronic inflammation and scarring in the lungs and skin of people with scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis. This macrophage, called MARCO+, was found to be elevated in
    people with the orphan disease, which affects around 70,000 Americans
    and currently has no effective treatment.

    The research team injected mice with biodegradable PLG nanoparticles,
    short for poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid. The results, published in JCI Insight, reveal that PLG specifically targeted MARCO+ inflammatory cells
    and prevented skin and lung fibrosis. Even more striking, nanoparticle treatment could even reverse fibrosis in these mice, says John Varga,
    M.D., senior author of the paper and chief of the Michigan Medicine
    Division of Rheumatology.

    "The findings reveal a stark difference: untreated mice had terrible
    scarring in the lungs, and those treated with this nanoparticle saw the
    disease decease in severity or completely disappear," said John Varga,
    M.D., senior author of the paper and chief of the Michigan Medicine
    Division of Rheumatology. "This is a promising step towards targeted
    treatment for patients with early scleroderma that could potentially
    mitigate the worst effects of the disease." The research team believes
    the MARCO+ cells become activated in people with scleroderma and
    circulate in the blood stream, traveling to the tissues and causing scar formation. While the PLG nanoparticle reduced fibrosis in mouse models,
    Varga says future studies are needed to determine exactly how it prevents
    the MARCO+ activation.

    PLG is already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for
    creating biodegradable sutures. In previous studies, Varga's co-authors
    found that PLG decreased inflammation in mouse models of myocardial
    infarction. It is not currently available as a treatment for patients.

    "We hope that this type of therapy will one day be evaluated in clinical
    trials for scleroderma," Varga said. "People with scleroderma are at great
    risk for skin and lung thickening that impacts function, and we look for
    any way to stop that from happening." Disclosures: Stephen D. Miller is
    a co-founder of, member of the Scientific Advisory Board, grantee of, and
    holds stock options in COUR Pharmaceutical Development Company and onCOUR Pharma, Inc., which holds the patent for the PLG nanoparticle technology.

    Additional authors include Swati Bhattacharyya, Swarna Bale, both of
    Michigan Medicine, and Dan Xu, Wenxia Wang, Igal Ifergan, Ming-Yi Alice
    Chiang Wong, Daniele Procissi, Anjana Yeldandi, Robert G Marangoni,
    Craig Horbinski, and Stephen D. Miller, all of Northwestern University
    Feinberg School of Medicine.

    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
    Michigan_Medicine_-_University_of_Michigan. Original written by Noah
    Fromson. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


    ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Dan Xu, Swati Bhattacharyya, Wenxia Wang, Igal Ifergan, Ming-Yi
    Alice
    Chiang Wong, Daniele Procissi, Anjana Yeldandi, Swarna Bale,
    Roberta G.

    Marangoni, Craig Horbinski, Stephen D. Miller, John Varga. PLG
    nanoparticles target fibroblasts and MARCO monocytes to
    reverse multi- organ fibrosis. JCI Insight, 2022; DOI:
    10.1172/jci.insight.151037 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220307113040.htm

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