Enhanced Stroke Treatment

A new method for delivering thrombolytic therapy to blocked blood vessels could enhance the action of clot-busting drugs. Preliminary tests on mice indicate that the effectiveness of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) – the only approved drug for treatment of acute stroke – is almost doubled when used in conjunction with magnetic nanorods.

The tiny magnetized particles measure about 300 nanometers in diameter, and were injected into the bloodstream along with the t-PA. Using two revolving magnets, the nanorods rotate, propelling the drug to the site of the blockage and breaking up the clot more efficiently. The goal is to reduce the amount of t-PA needed to effectively dissolve a clot, as the drug prevents proper clot formation throughout the body, making patients more vulnerable to serious, uncontrolled bleeding problems.

Strokes are the second leading cause of death worldwide, and it has been estimated that in the U.S. alone, a person dies from stroke every four minutes. A treatment method such as this would also be applicable to other conditions caused by blood clots including pulmonary embolisms and heart attacks.