[gmezo (OP)]

Circulation Magazine Article on Nanobacteria, Coronary Artery Disease and effect of treatment with novel Nanobiotic, NanobacTX.

[?]Circulation Magazine March 25, 2003 Correspondence: newbielink:http:// [nonactive] newbielink:http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/107/11/e74 [nonactive]
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Circulation. 2003;107:e74.)
2003 American Heart Association, Inc.

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Correspondence

Shouldering the Risk Burden: Infection, Atherosclerosis, and the Vascular Endothelium

Benedict S. Maniscalco, MD, FACC
St Joseph’s Heart Institute, Tampa, Fla

To the Editors:

The recent editorial by Drs Vita and Loscalzo1 was most informative and presents an overview of the relationships among infection, atherosclerosis, and consequent endothelial dysfunction. Their conclusion that "chronic infection may be added to the list of factors that induce endothelial dysfunction" is certainly warranted.

Similarly, the scientific papers presented at the recent symposium in Washington, DC, Infection and Atherosclerosis, solidify the case for an infectious etiology of atherosclerosis.

Multiple causative organisms were mentioned, but only Dr Paul Ewald2 listed the recently discovered Nanobacterium sanguineum (Ns) as a possible etiologic infectious agent because of its unique ability to cause infection, calcium deposition, and inflammatory responses. Ns is currently under intense investigation in many academic medical institutions and government agencies.

Ns is the smallest known (20 to 200 nanometers) self-replicating organism and has been isolated from multiple human tissues, including atherosclerotic plaque. Ns also produces a lipopolysaccaride biofilm that induces the inflammatory cascade. While doing so, Ns fixes calcium and phosphorus to form a self-protecting apatite coating.

In their recent Poster Presentation at the annual meeting of The American College of Cardiology, Rasmussen et al3 reported the immunological identification of nanobacteria in calcified human vascular tissue. This corroborates the previous findings of the Hungarian researcher, Laszlo Puskas, PhD (personal communication, 2001).

Ns replicates at the rate of 44% per year. Could this explain the 33% to 38% annual increases in coronary artery calcification scores as seen from EBCT and helical CT scanning by Budhoff and Yoon,4 respectively?

I am currently completing an Western Independent Review Board investigation to address this question. Patients with known coronary artery disease and positive coronary artery calcium scans are being treated with NanobacTX, a proprietary compounded Nanobiotic (NanobacLabs, Tampa, Fla).

If therapy "unroofs" the carbonate coating of Ns, kills the organism while decreasing CAC scores and plaque volume, one might conclude that plaque regression has occurred. Such a finding will warrant expanded investigation into the role of Nanobacterium sanguineum in atherogenesis.

Immunological and serologic tests have confirmed the presence of Ns in the study patients. Final study results are expected in the fourth quarter 2002.

References
Vita JA, Loscalzo J. Shouldering the risk burden: infection, atherosclerosis, and the vascular endothelium. Circulation. 2002; 106: 164–166.[Free Full Text]

Ewald P. Infection and Atherosclerosis Symposium. April 2002, Washington, DC.

Rasmussen TE, Kirkland BL, Charlesworth J, et al. Electron microscope, and immunological evidence of nanobacterial-like structures in calcified carotid arteries, aortic aneurysms, and cardiac valves. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002; 39 (suppl A). Abstract 1009–79.

Yoon H, Emerick AM, Hill JA, et al. Calcium begets calcium: progression of coronary artery calcification in asymptomatic subjects. Radiology. 2002; 224: 236–241._____________________________________________________________________
Dear Naked Scientists, Considering the Above:

Is Nanobacterium sanguineum infection the cause of atherosclerotic pathological calcification, atherosclerotic plaque and vascular wall inflammation in coronary artery disease? Will nanobiotic treatment aimed at Nanobacterium sanguineum reduce atherosclerotic coronary artery disease? Does nanobacterial infection provide us with a unifying cause of vascular calcification and inflammation where no explanation has previously existed?

Dr.Gary Mezo,Chairman/CRO
NanobacLabs Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
NanobacLabs Research Institute
2727 W. ML King, Suite 850
Tampa, Florida USA 33607
Tel:(813)264-2241
Fax:(813)264-5512
newbielink:http://www.nanobaclabs.com [nonactive]
EMail:info@nanobaclabs.com

[chris]

This is an interesting hypothesis.

It has been known for some time that individuals with evidence of chronic (long term) low-grade infection have a higher risk of developing coronary artery disease, leading some investigators to conclude that the inflammation in these people is occurring at the level of the blood vessel and must presumably be secondary to infection.

Indeed, using various approaches to study diseased arteries under the microscope has implicated Chlamydia in the past, and some viruses, including CMV. But, to my knowledge, trials in animals infected with these organisms and genetically programmed to develop arterial disease, however, have not shown benefits of giving drugs known to target these infections.

With the evidence we have to go on so far, it is very difficult to determine what came first - the arterial disease that then lets the bugs get in, or bugs that then caused the arterial diease...

For the moment I'll concentrate on minimising my modifiable risk factors like exercise, not eating too much, not drinking too much, not smoking, eating healthily, staying slim...or maybe I'll start tomorrow !

Chris