Applied Lipid Polymorphism

Abstract

Nanotechnology is converging with modern biology and medicine and has been classified into two categories: ‘wet’ nanotechnology (including living biosystems) and ‘dry’ nanotechnology. Nanoveson™ therapy is applicable to the nanotechnology category of ‘wet’ living biosystems in the area of membrane lipids. Nanobiotechnology is defined as a field that applies the nanoscale principles and techniques to understand and transform biosystems (162). Over 60 million adult Americans suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and these numbers are rising rapidly. There is no FDA approved treatment. NAFLD is an epidemic in developed countries and represents a growing global health crisis. In clinical studies NAFLD is also associated with the metabolic syndrome and other life threatening diseases. NAFLD is known to progress to more advanced liver diseases such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer.

The triggering of lipid remodeling “polymorphism” and therapeutically manipulating the self-organizing properties of lipids to produce vesicle membrane fusion and aggregation in a biosystem “nanobiotechnology” are fundamental to the novel and attractive mechanisms of action utilized by Nanoveson™ therapy. Nanoveson™ triggers the release of clinically significant amounts of remodeled liver triglyceride as phospholipids in bile. Therapeutically manipulating phospholipid concentration and dropping pH in the intestines produces fusion and aggregation of unilamellar phospholipid vesicles via the intestines, providing for elimination of lipid aggregates. Nanoveson’s™ basic application of principles of nanobiotechnology may provide for accelerated research and development of more advanced therapeutic applications of nanomedicine. Nanoveson™ has biomarker, diagnostic and treatment implications for multiple liver diseases and comorbid diseases, in addition to NAFLD and other fatty liver related diseases, including high cholesterol, elevated triglyceride and insulin resistance (metabolic syndrome). Nanoveson™ offers a potentially efficient and effective method for drug metabolism testing by sequestering drug molecules in lipid aggregate membranes.

Enterohepatic circulation is responsible for quantitatively maintaining overall body arachidonic acid homeostasis (45). Nanoveson™ has unique potential for optimization of enterohepatic circulation by reducing liver triglyceride deposits and increasing phospholipid synthesis and turnover of plasma phospholipids, reducing the available pool of free arachidonic acid, with implications for preventing, diagnosing and treating inflammatory diseases, including gastrointestinal diseases, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, asthma and cancer. Nanoveson™ therapy also has potential as cotherapy with many other disease therapy modalities to maximize their efficacy for delivering improved health outcomes.

Notes: All notes refer to notes as presented in the Nanoveson™ Whitepaper.