Abstract
Thrombosis is characterized by the formation of in vivo blood clots that are localized
within arterial or venous blood vessels. These thrombi form beyond the need for physiologically
healthy hemostatic responses and can lead to significant medical issues for affected
individuals. Unfortunately, the existing standard-of-care therapies for treating thrombosis
are systemic in their therapeutic design; therefore, they interfere with the patient's
physiological hemostasis. Examples of the severe clinical side effects commonly associated
with currently available therapies include, but are not limited to, bleeding complications.
Therefore, there is a profound demand for novel therapeutic interventions that can
circumvent these debilitating complications, while offering improved therapeutic efficacy.
Recent advancements in nanotechnology present an opportunity to develop novel and
improved drug delivery systems to meet this clinical demand. Preclinical investigations
have begun to uncover the potential of nanotechnology, particularly in the treatment
of thrombosis and also in nonhemostatic cardiovascular diseases. This article reviews
recent preclinical studies aimed at developing a diverse array of different nanotechnologies
for treating thrombosis as well as heart diseases. This review will also outline the
limitations with current nanotechnologies and what challenges need to be overcome
to translate these novel therapies to the clinic.
Keywords
nanotechnology - nanoparticles - cardiovascular - thrombosis - myocardial infarction
