Immunotherapy could prevent dangerous plaque ruptures in arteries

Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up inside the arteries. White blood cells called macrophages can cause these plaques to become inflamed and rupture, resulting in severe cardiovascular consequences including death. Researchers have now shown that a recently developed nanoimmunotherapy called TRAF6i–HDL rapidly reduces the plaque macrophage content and inflammation in mice with atherosclerosis. According to the authors, the effectiveness of this therapy and its safety in mice and in non-human primates highlight the translational potential of this strategy for the treatment of atherosclerosis. The study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, was partly funded by NHLBI.