Researchers at The College of Texas at El Paso are growing a brand new therapeutic strategy that makes use of nanoparticles for the therapy of pores and skin and lung fibrosis, circumstances that may end up in extreme injury to the physique’s tissues.
Md Nurunnabi, Ph.D., is an affiliate professor in UTEP’s College of Pharmacy and the lead researcher on two research printed this June within the medical Journal of Managed Launch; one research focuses on pores and skin fibrosis and the opposite on lung fibrosis.
“We are closer than ever to developing a safe, effective and reliable approach to treating fibrosis,” Nurunnabi mentioned.
Fibrosis is a situation by which the tissues in an organ -; such because the pores and skin, lungs, liver or kidneys -; turn into thicker and stiffer, in line with Nurunnabi. This will have a number of damaging results, such because the lungs not with the ability to maintain sufficient oxygen or blood vessels turning into narrower, resulting in hypertension.
“I studied fibrosis during my postdoctoral training but became interested in focusing on it in my lab during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Nurunnabi mentioned. “I observed that many people were passing away not because of COVID itself, but because of the inflammation and fibrosis caused by the viral infection in the lungs. Our lab focuses on developing nanotechnology that can target specific cells.”
Fibrosis can happen as a facet impact of chemotherapy or the results of a viral an infection or autoimmune illness, a situation by which the physique’s immune system assaults its personal cells. For instance, with an autoimmune situation, the physique kills cells referred to as fibroblasts that assist kind connective tissue. The physique then produces extra collagen than it wants, which results in fibrosis.
Nurunnabi’s crew targeted on designing a nanoparticle that would goal the cells which are accountable for fibrosis improvement and development with out disturbing the “good” cells needed for the physique’s wholesome functioning. Fairly than killing the “bad” cells, the crew was profitable in modifying them in order that they not produced extra collagen, in impact rehabilitating the cells. The research had been performed within the check tube and in mice.
“Dr. Nurunnabi’s research into skin and lung fibrosis sheds light on the devastating impact of these conditions, whether acute or chronic,” mentioned José Rivera, Pharm.D, founding dean of the College of Pharmacy. “His findings offer hope for improved treatments that could significantly increase life expectancy and enhance the quality of life for affected individuals.”
Nurunnabi’s lab is funded by a collaborative program between UTEP, the Nationwide Institutes of Well being and Baylor Faculty of Drugs, in addition to a pilot grant from the Nationwide Scleroderma Basis to conduct analysis associated to therapy of fibrosis.