![Preventing Injury After Ischemia]()
Nitric oxide delivered into the circulation dilates blood vessels, increases blood flow and limits vascular inflammation—which can help people experiencing a heart attack or ischemic stroke. But administering nitric oxide systemically to patients can trigger an undesirable drop in blood pressure. Joel Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., has developed a technology that may lower the risk. In experiments involving hamsters, he and his colleagues infused nitric-oxide-containing paramagnetic nanoparticles into the animals and then used an external magnet to draw the particles to constricted vessels. The localized magnetic field restored flow and prevented vascular injury without damaging surrounding tissues. The technology could potentially become a safe, effective and rapid therapy for patients experiencing ischemia. The findings were published online on May 27 in ACS Applied Bio Materials. Dr. Friedman is a professor of medicine and of physiology and biophysics, as well as the Young Men’s Division Chair in Physiology emeritus at Einstein.
Posted on: Friday, August 09, 2019