Assessing the Effects of Heparin-Coated Nanoparticles as a Treatment for Restenosis

Peyton ClarkFollow

School Name

South Carolina Governor's School for Science & Mathematics

Grade Level

12th Grade

Presentation Topic

Cell and Molecular Biology

Presentation Type

Mentored

Oral Presentation Award

3rd Place

Abstract

Atherosclerosis which leads to coronary artery disease, is the leading cause of death in America and the current treatment is Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). PCI involves inserting a catheter into the blocked area of the artery and inflating a balloon or releasing a metal stent to keep the artery open. A major drawback of PCI is the occurrence of Restenosis, or re-narrowing, of the artery. A contributor to restenosis is proliferation and migration of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMCs) into the arterial space following PCI. Previous studies have shown that Heparin (an anticoagulant) has a negative effect on VSMC proliferation. Therefore, it is theorized that targeted delivery of heparin-coated nanoparticles might minimize the effects of restenosis. The aim of this research is to test the cytotoxicity of various concentrations (0% to 50%) of heparin coated iron-oxide based nanoparticles on Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) for a period of twenty-four hours. A viability assay and an MTS assay were then performed to check for toxicity. The results of the viability assay did not show a statistically significant change in the number of live cells after treatment and the MTS assay showed an upward trend in HUVEC proliferation. These results indicate that the nanoparticles do not have a detrimental effect on the cells as compared to the control. Further investigation is underway to determine if these nanoparticles can be used as a viable treatment for restenosis.

Location

Founders Hall 114 A

Start Date

3-30-2019 9:00 AM

Presentation Format

Oral Only

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 30th, 9:00 AM

Assessing the Effects of Heparin-Coated Nanoparticles as a Treatment for Restenosis

Founders Hall 114 A

Atherosclerosis which leads to coronary artery disease, is the leading cause of death in America and the current treatment is Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). PCI involves inserting a catheter into the blocked area of the artery and inflating a balloon or releasing a metal stent to keep the artery open. A major drawback of PCI is the occurrence of Restenosis, or re-narrowing, of the artery. A contributor to restenosis is proliferation and migration of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMCs) into the arterial space following PCI. Previous studies have shown that Heparin (an anticoagulant) has a negative effect on VSMC proliferation. Therefore, it is theorized that targeted delivery of heparin-coated nanoparticles might minimize the effects of restenosis. The aim of this research is to test the cytotoxicity of various concentrations (0% to 50%) of heparin coated iron-oxide based nanoparticles on Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) for a period of twenty-four hours. A viability assay and an MTS assay were then performed to check for toxicity. The results of the viability assay did not show a statistically significant change in the number of live cells after treatment and the MTS assay showed an upward trend in HUVEC proliferation. These results indicate that the nanoparticles do not have a detrimental effect on the cells as compared to the control. Further investigation is underway to determine if these nanoparticles can be used as a viable treatment for restenosis.