This single-dose nanodrug might cure your bad cholesterol
What's the story
US and Chinese researchers have conducted successful clinical trials of a single-dose nanodrug, which can potentially control "bad" cholesterol levels for years or even forever. The drug, CTX310, is a gene-editing treatment that employs tiny particles to deliver a CRISPR gene-editing tool directly into liver cells. It targets a specific gene called ANGPTL3, which plays an important role in regulating fat levels in the blood.
Innovative therapy
Therapy modeled after natural mutation
The CTX310 therapy is modeled after a natural mutation that inhibits the ANGPTL3 gene, resulting in extremely low cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
People with this mutation hardly suffer from heart disease.
The clinical trials of this revolutionary treatment were conducted by US's Cleveland Clinic researchers in Australia, New Zealand, and UK on 15 volunteers.
Trial results
Nanodrug reduces bad cholesterol levels by up to 85%
The Chinese trial yielded similar results to the US, with the nanodrug reducing bad cholesterol levels by up to 85% in some participants and maintaining its effectiveness for over a year.
Safety profile
CTX310 could become game-changer in heart disease treatment
The nanodrug has proven to be safe in all the studies. However, it is still early days for this novel treatment.
If the results are seen for a long time, CTX310 could become a game-changer in the fight against heart disease by providing long-term control over bad cholesterol levels with just one injection.