Fullerene Nanoparticle Anticoagulants Created to Treat Blood Disorders by National Cancer Institute Scientists

The figure is a schematic representation of substituted fullerene C60 compounds including DF1, C3, AF1 and AF3.  These nanoparticles were used to create a nanoparticle anticoagulant to treat blood disorders by National Cancer Institute Nanoparticle Characterization Laboratory researchers.

National Cancer Institute Nanoparticle Characterization Laboratory scientists Marina Dobrovolskaia, Scott McNeil and  Barry W. Neun have developed a nanoparticle-based anticoagulant.  The anticoagulant, detailed in U.S. Patent Application 20100028402, provides a method for preventing or treating a blood clotting disorder.

The method includes administering a therapeutic effective amount of at least one nanoparticle-based anticoagulant to a subject afflicted with blood clotting disorder or potentially afflicted with a blood clotting disorder, wherein the at least one nanoparticle-based anticoagulant is a substituted fullerene, polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer or combination thereof.

In an example, a method includes administering a therapeutic effective amount of a  nanoparticle-based anticoagulant to a subject afflicted with blood clotting disorder or potentially afflicted with a blood clotting disorder.  The nanoparticle-based anticoagulant is a substituted fullerene, polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer or combination or mixture of them.  Illustrative nanoparticle-based anticoagulants include C3, a C3 analog, DF1, a DF1 analog, NCL22, a NCL22 analog or a combination or mixture of them.  The blood clotting disorder can be associated with the implantation of a medical device such as a stent or a catheter.

Further, the disorder can range from undesired platelet aggregation to more serious disorders such as thrombosis or peripheral arterial occlusion. The nanoparticle-based anticoagulant can be administered via traditional drug delivery routes such as intravenously or the anticoagulant can be administered by the medical device. For example, the medical device can be at least partially coated or impregnated with the nanoparticle-based anticoagulant.

The nanoparticle-based anticoagulant is administered in conjunction with insertion of an in-dwelling device into the subject, the in-dwelling device being at least one of a stent, a stent graft, a synthetic vascular graft, a heart valve, a catheter, a vascular prosthetic filter, a pacemaker, a pacemaker lead, a defibrilator, a patent foramen ovale (PFO) septal closure device, a vascular clip, a vascular aneurysm occluder, a hemodialysis graft, a hemodialysis catheter, an atrioventricular shunt, an aortic aneurysm graft device or components, a venous valve, a suture, a vascular anastomosis clip, an indwelling venous or arterial catheter, a vascular sheath or a drug delivery port.