A new technique of injecting microparticles that block the body's immune response to damaged tissue may help prevent further harm.

Researchers have shown that injecting such particles into mice within 24 hours of a heart attack not only significantly reduces tissue damage, but also resulted in mice having stronger cardiac function 30 days later. Human trials are coming soon.

The body's natural response to harmful stimuli may do more harm than good, explains Daniel Getts, inventor of the new therapy and chief scientific officer of Cour Pharmaceutical Development.

While the toxic compounds that the immune cells secrete can be beneficial in defending the body against an infection, they also cause tissue damage. It occurs not only after heart attacks, but also in a range of other diseases, from inflammatory bowel disease to multiple sclerosis.

The particles must be negatively charged, and can be made of several different materials, including one used for biodegradable sutures.

The new research suggests that once the particles are in the bloodstream, the negative charge attracts a specific receptor on the surface of inflammatory monocytes. It will bind to the receptor and divert the immune cells away from the heart and toward the spleen.

The goal is to begin human tests by early next year.