Atherosclerosis, a primary cause of cardiovascular disease, is characterized by the accumulation of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) in the arteries, leading to plaque formation and subsequent inflammation within the arterial wall. When this plaque accumulates in the brain in the form of intracranial atherosclerosis, it can block blood flow and lead to the development of blood clots, resulting in stroke and/or brain damage. One method for controlling atherosclerosis is to prevent oxLDL uptake by scavenger receptors, thus preventing the early stages of plaque formation. Amphiphilic macromolecules (AMs) are biocompatible polymers that have both a hydrophilic (water-loving) and a hydrophobic (water-hating) segment and have been investigated to inihibit scavenger receptor-mediated oxLDL uptake. Previous studies have demonstrated that AMs can be formulated into nanoparticles which exhibit anti-atherosclerotic activity; however, AMs have not yet been investigated as an intracranial atherosclerosis therapy. To treat intracranial atherosclerosis, AMs would need to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB), a barrier between the bloodstream and the central nervous system. As research has suggested nanoparticles modified with quaternary ammonium (QA) groups can cross the BBB, we hypothesized that AMs modified with QA groups could treat intracranial atherosclerosis. To this end, we aimed to synthesize and characterize novel QA-modified AMs.

Synthesis of amphiphilic macromolecules for intracranial atherosclerosis treatment

248th National Meeting (2014)

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