Project Summary
Building a new device intervention for peripheral arterial disease with improved long-term effectiveness and safety.
The main researcher for this project is Dr Richard Tan.
What is the issue for NSW?
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) occurs in the legs and leads to a high rate of amputations. The only available intervention is to use drug-eluting devices. However, these devices typically fail within 1 year and patients must resort to amputations anyway. The drugs from these devices also increase the likelihood of death. This means that the only available treatment options are not only ineffective but also put patient’s lives at risk. There is an urgent need to develop a PAD intervention that is safer and more lastingly effective.
What does the research aim to do and how?
This project aims to build a new PAD device intervention. Relying on a new class of non-toxic nanoparticles, this novel device is custom-engineered to deliver drugs that target inflammation only in blood vessels with PAD. Targeting inflammation addresses the cause of PAD device failure, meaning that the benefit of this approach lasts longer than current drugs. The special nanoparticles used to deliver these drugs also ensure that they stay only in areas of vessel disease, guaranteeing drug safety.