Blocking Copper Function Prevents Restenosis in Arteries

Scientists have discovered that the renarrowing of arteries following balloon angioplasty can be halted by copper chelation therapy. Their discovery was reported in the May 27, 2003, issue of the Proceedings of the (US) National Academy of Sciences.

The investigators found that the function of copper is necessary for restenosis, and after angioplasty or stent surgery is performed, the presence of copper cells in artery cells enables the cells to regrow from within the injured vessel. In about 30% of cases, this process reclogs the artery, requiring more surgery. Preventing the function of copper in the body stops the artery from reclogging after angioplasty. The therapy works by limiting the cellular export of growth factors and cytokines involved in this process.

The commonly available reagent TTM (tetrathiomolybdate), which is a specific copper chelator, stopped inflammation and growth of the unwanted new tissue responsible for narrowing the arteries. TTM was able to inhibit the intracellular function of key regulators of cell growth, which normally enable cells to respond to stress.

"This represents a major contribution to medical science,” said Kenneth A. Ault, M.D., director of the Maine Medical Research Institute (MMCRI, Scarborough, USA; www.mmri.org). "This finding could be ready for widespread clinical use in humans in a very few years.”

The research was conducted by a team of scientists from Maine Medical Research Institute (Scarborough, USA) and a team from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (Lebanon, NH, USA). The discovery is the result of around 15 years of scientific research, said the participants.