Named nanoburrs by its inventors, the molecules are covered in proteins that only target damaged cells. Once found, the nanoburrs latch on to the cells and release the repairing drug over a period of time.
These damaged cells due to atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries, can eventually lead to the blockages that cause heart attacks.
MIT offers this method that could eventually replace the use of a balloon to widen the artery and a stint to keep it open, a process that has the possibility of leading to further blockages.
While the British Heart Foundation said that it would be a few years before it will be used in patients, it does open possibilities of using nanotechnology for other medical conditions in the future, such as inflammation and cancer.
