A vaccine could one day be used to lower blood pressure for as long as six months, preventing related diseases. The potential treatment would be less expensive than conventional hypertension drugs, making it accessible to a wider group of people
The new vaccine has only been tested in rats as of right now, but the findings of the rodent study provide hope that it could be an effective method of tackling high blood pressure in humans, the American Heart Association reported.
"The potential of a vaccine for hypertension offers an innovative treatment that could be very effective for the control of non-compliance which is one of the major problems in the management of hypertensive patients," said Hironori Nakagami, study co-author and professor at Osaka University in Japan.
The novel DNA vaccine influences angiotensin II ?, which is a hormone that raises blood pressure by constricting blood vessels and causing the circulatory system to work harder. To test the potential new treatment, the researchers immunized hypertensive rats three times at intervals of two weeks using needleless injections. The treatment proved to lower blood pressure for as long as two months, and also reduced tissue damage to the heart and blood vessels caused by the hypertension itself.
The DNA vaccine is similar to an ACE inhibitor blood pressure drugs, which reverse constricted blood vessels so blood can flow through more easily, lowering blood pressure. The vaccine could be a cheaper alternative to anti-hypertensive drugs such as ARB (angiotensin receptor blockade), making it more accessible to parts of Africa, south Asia, and other developing regions.
"Further research on this DNA vaccine platform, including increasing the longevity of blood pressure reduction, may eventually provide a new therapeutic option to treat hypertensive patients," Nakagami said.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension.
