Invention Summary:
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in developed countries. Atherosclerosis, defined as the buildup of lipid rich plaques within the vascular intima, is the foremost pathology underlying these conditions. This causes irregular uptake of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (OxLDL) which leads to leads to formation of foam cells and secretion of inflammatory mediators. Hence, new agents and methods for treating atherosclerosis are needed.
Researchers at Rutgers University have designed a novel amphiphilic macromolecules’ (AMs) hydrophobic segment for use in drug delivery applications and atherosclerosis treatment. AMs are comprised of different sugar backbones, branched aliphatic chains, and a hydrophilic poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain. In this instance, dibenzyl L-tartrate hydroxyl groups were acylated with modified aliphatic chains, and the resulting intermediate was deprotected to give a sugar-based hydrophobic segment, which was subsequently PEGylated to yield the final AM. AMs competitively bind to atherogenic scavenger receptors through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, modifications to the aliphatic AM chains could enhance such binding interactions.
Advantages:
- Novel treatment using an improved bioactive AMs
- Selectively targets the LDL scavenger receptors
- Provides wide range to encapsulate hydrophobic molecules
Market Applications:
- Atherosclerosis
- Inflammatory diseases
- Cardiovascular diseases
Intellectual Property & Development Status: Patent US9,630,905B2. Available for licensing and/or research collaboration.
