A new study indicates that scientists have inched closer to developing a vaccine to control blood pressure amid lingering issues with cardiovascular disease, including within the Hispanic/Latino community.

Among Hispanics who've experienced a stroke, 72 percent had high blood pressure, compared to 66 percent in non-Hispanic whites.

Hypertension, or heart blood pressure, is a chronic medical condition, whereby blood pressure in the arteries elevates. If sustained over time, vessels in the heart can be damaged, then individuals bear the risk of developing hypertensive heart disease, coronary artery disease, stroke, aortic aneurysm, peripheral artery disease, and chronic kidney disease. Nearly one-third of adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Osaka University in Japan has led the advancement in blood pressure vaccine, and the study's findings appeared in the journal Hypertension on Tuesday, May 26, in an article titled "Long-Term Reduction of High Blood Pressure by Angiotensin II DNA Vaccine in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats."

The experimental vaccine has been tested in rats, providing six months of protection against high blood pressure. If that vaccine works in humans, a small injection in the arm could mean eliminating troublesome and expensive daily medication, which include beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors. Also, the new development could mean empowering low-income and rural communities with limited access to medical services.

"One of the problems is that patients sometimes forget to take their medication, which may trigger ... a stroke or other cardiovascular event," Dr. Hironori Nakagami, a professor of medicine at Osaka University and a co-author of the study told Live Science. In the future, "the physician may select a vaccine therapy to control blood pressure to [better] prevent such cardiovascular events."

The experimental 'DNA vaccine' works by allowing ACE inhibitors to target the body's own hormones (called angiotensin II), causing blood vessels to constrict. The hope is that the DNA vaccines will insert themselves into DNA, transforming human cells into engines for pushing out antibodies, thus attacking pathogens or cancerous cells. In the past, with use of a different technique, doctors published modest results for similar vaccines in humans. The Lancet, a journal, published a study on a peptide vaccine, when a chain of amino acids is armed to target called angiotensin II. The experiment produced limited results, lasting only a few months within patients. Also, volunteers experienced flu-like symptoms.

That said, Nakagami's DNA vaccine has yet to be approved for use in humans in any nation.

"We developed the DNA vaccine to induce anti-angiotensin II antibodies, which can bind angiotensin II and inhibit its function," Nakagami said, according to Live Science. "But how to regulate the duration of antibody production is still unknown," he added, noting that this is why the protection against high blood pressure seen in the study was not permanent.

The DNA vaccine appears to be safe, at least in rats, with no significant side effects. Nakagami hopes to begin human clinical trails within a few years in Japan or another country. Next, Nakagami and his fellow researchers intend to develop a vaccine for heart failure in dogs.

Related