Blockage/inhibition of Mannose Receptor (MR) can allow the modulation of immune responses and inflammation. Dampening down the inflammatory response is needed in many disease states including atherosclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer and ischaemia reperfusion injury (IRI). However, the potential of MR as a therapeutic clinical target has yet to be clinically exploited. The researchers have found a molecular pathway that appears to be critical in IRI, and a novel means of downregulating it using the customised polymers.
