In mice, therapeutic
nanoparticles dampen H. pylori bacteria and inflammation that lead to ulcers
and gastric cancer
(November 25, 2014) The bacterium Helicobacter pylori is strongly
associated with gastric ulcers and cancer. To combat the infection, researchers
at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Jacobs School of
Engineering developed LipoLLA, a therapeutic nanoparticle that contains
linolenic acid, a component in vegetable oils. In mice, LipoLLA was safe and
more effective against H. pylori infection than standard antibiotic treatments.
The results are published online
Nov. 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“Current H. pylori treatments are
facing a major challenge — antibiotic resistance,” said Liangfang Zhang, PhD,
professor in the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center and Department of
Nanoengineering. “Our goal was to develop a nanotherapeutic that can tolerate
the harsh gastric environment, kill H. pylori and avoid resistance.” Zhang and
Marygorret Obonyo, PhD, assistant professor in the Moores Cancer Center and
Department of Medicine, are co-senior authors of the study.