Nanotherapeutics mimic blood platelets to dissolve clots

Researchers at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute have developed a new biomimetic strategy to deliver blood-clot-dissolving nanotherapeutics directly to obstructed blood vessels. This technique uses only a fraction of the drug dosage that is normally required, reducing the risk of bleeding complications. Their inspiration came from the way that blood platelets adhere to the lining of narrowed vessels. The nanotherapeutic is made from biodegradable nanoparticles and is about the same size as a platelet. "The vascular nanotherapeutic we developed that selectively becomes activated in regions of high shear stress, much like living platelets do,” says Donald Ingber, who led the research, “is a wonderful example of how [...] biomimetic strategies can lead to new and unexpected solutions to age-old problems that existing technologies can't address.”