A novel futuristic method offers treatment of Coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease in the United States. It is sometimes called coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease. CAD is caused by plaque buildup in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart (called coronary arteries) and other parts of the body. Plaque is made up of deposits of cholesterol and other substances in the artery. Plaque buildup causes the inside of the arteries to narrow over time, which can partially or totally block the blood flow. This process is called atherosclerosis. Now there might be radical help for this condition.

Michigan State University and Stanford University scientists have invented a radical treatment, which, if it clears further tests, can help people suffering from the condition. A new nanoparticle eats away -- from the inside out -- portions of plaques that cause heart attacks. The nanoparticle that can be directed with high selectivity to a particular immune cell type -- monocytes and macrophages. Once inside the macrophages in those plaques, it delivers a drug agent that stimulates the cell to engulf and eat cellular debris. Basically, it removes the diseased/dead cells in the plaque core. By reinvigorating the macrophages, plaque size is reduced and stabilized. It is highly expected that the treatment would reduce the risk of most types of heart attacks, and it would have minimal side effects.

Small molecules using nano-immunotherapeutic platforms could stimulate the macrophages to selectively eat dead and dying cells, the precursor cells to atherosclerosis. Delivering a small molecule inside the macrophages has an enormous advantage. The next step will be to start a clinical translation of these nanomaterials using large animal models and human tissue tests. 

The discovery could be a potential treatment for atherosclerosis, a leading cause of death in many parts of the world. 

Read more: 

Science daily

Nature Nanotechnology: Nanoparticles are specifically taken up by lesional macrophages to prevent atherosclerosis.

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Be ready to act when opportunities are knocking

Opportunities require you to take the bull by the horns and jumping into the unknown. Because the creation of the new is always uncharted territory, it takes courage to move forward. Your sincere and honest work is a sturdy parachute, which will carry you over rough terrain. Some people work hard, but they withdraw at the time of a real opportunity. Their insecurity does not allow them to go through the finish line. Instead of speeding up when the going is tough, they are fabricating convincing excuses. You must be able to fire.

Unhappiness is the tendency to seek happiness in temporary solutions and the wrong places, such as addictions, consumption of empty entertainment, or empty calories. Therefore, a negative mindset is a ticket to failure and destruction. Honest, thorough preparation gives you the confidence to take charge and seize the moment. Take time to prepare, but when the time comes, do not hesitate to act. Action contains the possibility of failure, but it is the only path toward success. While defeat is never final, every unsuccessful attempt tests your determination. Blunders can lead to a more advanced understanding. Although people are different in temperament, psychological make-up, and approach to life, the methods listed above are universal.

Be willing to step up to the test.

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The role of relationships during chronic illness

The trust and comfort of family and friends can provide a lifeline and a healing presence during illness. The widespread existence of single households in the modern world leads to the loss of connectedness. Persistent loneliness can cause cardiovascular, hormonal, and immune problems; it can be as threatening as cigarettes, excess alcohol, or obesity. The adverse health consequences are especially dangerous during this time. 

Twenty-five years ago, I was pregnant with my third child. I came down with an intestinal infection, which caused severe diarrhea. A potent antibiotic, which would have treated the problem was out of the question. Every day for eight months of pregnancy and ten months of nursing, I would invariably be miserable and exhausted by 10 am. Constant diarrhea and the resulting hemorrhoids depleted my physical and mental energies. I was depressed. In my helplessness and isolation, I scarcely remembered my past and was not able to comprehend or even be interested in the future. Life became a blur of tentative actions to last until the next emergency that I came to expect. 

When my son was ten months old, antibiotic treatment restored my health, almost overnight. The difficulties of that year were manageable because of my closeness to my family. Intimate relationships are essential for life and become even more meaningful at the intersection of life and death. Our vulnerability nurtures our closeness with those dearest to us. Secure social connections with loved ones provide an emotional strength that ties the patient to the living. 

Like threads in a fabric, all living things and people form an essential interdependence. The richness of existence depends on all of the components of every color yarn. As missing threads create a hole, living things leave a hole behind. According to a foremost cancer physician, David Smithers, the quality of the social milieu has a crucial role in healing. Your survival might depend on your ability to rally friends, family, and coworkers’ support. Advocating on your behalf, they create a climate of moral support. The appeal to take care of one another is vivid in Romans 12:15 (ESV), “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” 

Socrates reminds us that “an unexamined life is not worth living.” Sometimes a disease that brings death into a close-up view is the best inspiration to discover a more personal relationship to life. Humanity has an innate hunger for meaning in every occurrence of life. Since ancient times, we used the arts and religion to wash off the dust of every day and transcend onto a higher intellectual plane. Recognizing the regularity in the cycles of the natural environment, formed our earliest belief systems, and encouraged the beginning of worship. Religion and spirituality immerse the soul within the mysteries of the universe and society. 

My straightforward handbook, The Power of Joy, gives you the tools and advice you need to liberate yourself from your negativity and become the best version of yourself. Now you can find it on Amazon.

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