The vaccine may be able to control blood pressure

Only two injections a, rather than daily pills that many hypertensive breach. This

is what we promise an immunization, which is currently in development, aimed at a

substance-related blood pressure problems. The treatment just to show signs of their safety and

efficacy in a trial of hypertensive patients.

"The results of this new biotherapy for hypertension are intriguing and promising. Vaccine could

prove very useful in many patients," study,

both published in the latest issue of the journal 'The Lancet' .

Although currently there are effective drugs and patterns (eating tips, exercise ...) against

hypertension, many patients do not comply with their therapy. This helps the fact that it is a

chronic disease, but with no symptoms. Hence the usefulness of a vaccine, which would simplify

matters: "The ease of a few injections per year would encourage better adherence to treatment,"

say researchers from the Swiss company Cytos Biotechnology, the same as working on an

immunization against nicotine.

The 'strategy' of the vaccine hypertension is similar to that of many modern antihypertensive

(ACE inhibitors, inhibitors of renin ...), that act on an important regulator of blood pressure:

the renin-angiotensin system. The vaccine is a mixture of a hormone of this circuit: angiotensin

II (a peptide in the blood that cause vasocontricción and therefore raises blood pressure) and a

particle similar to the viral capable of waking up defenses.
Results

"La vacuna induce anticuerpos contra la angiotensina II e impide que ésta se una a sus

receptores. Así que el modo de acción es bastante similar al de los fármacos convencionales, con

la excepción de que la duración de la respuesta inmune de la vacuna está en around four months,

compared to six of medicines, "explained elmundo.es Martin Bachmann, one of the

signatories of work. So, suffice estimated that two or three injections per year to maintain

tension 'at bay. "It seems realistic," he adds.

In fact, the study found that people who received a high dose of the vaccine managed to lower the

tension in a similar way to what is achieved with low doses of renin inhibitors, the authors say.

The tension was between and mm Hg lower than that of participants who received a placebo

injection-.

Bachmann also highlights an unexpected discovery: blood pressure seemed to diminish especially

. "The increase in the morning blood pressure is a problem with poorly

controlled drugs , and that the majority of heart attacks, strokes, etc.. Occur at this time

of day," explains the researcher.
Caution

The study was conducple between had a moderate hypertension (between
Hg systolic and the were divided into three groups:

patients received low doses of vaccine (an initial injection and two other souvenir few weeks

later), many others about higher doses, and a third group served as the control group, receiving

injections of a substance harmless.

The main objective of this test was to verify the safety of the treatment, something that seems

tested, at least in the short term: "Most of the side effects were mild and transient," write the

authors. Basically, flu-like symptoms, fever ... all of them frequently with other vaccines. In

this essay has not been that alters other cells defensive, "so it does not lead to an

uncontrolled stimulation of the immune system," they write.

However, the authors of the commentary still have doubts about the side effects of treatment,

"whether it would be safe to inhibit the action of angiotensin II for several months," they

write. The circuit which is part of (the renin-angiotensin system) plays an important role in the

homeostasis and "in situations of decreasing salt or liquid, as a severe dehydration, clinical

trauma or shock, rapid activation of this system is crucial" they write.

Recall also the failure, a few years ago, the promising vaccine against Alzheimer's, which also

encouraged defenses against a peptide of our own body.

The authors acknowledge that both the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine will have to be

tested in further studies. It is also necessary to determine whether the effects on hypertension

occur in other patients, such as the elderly. "There is no reason to think that will not work in

severe hypertensive or other population groups," said Bachmann. Still, this researcher believes

that the ideal candidate for immunization would be newly diagnosed with hypertension. "For these

patients, the vaccine may be able to control blood pressure without additional medication," he

says.

Currently, they are making two new clinical trials and, when finished, will begin a trial phase

, the previous step to the authorisation of treatment. If all goes well, Bachmann estimates ....