HDL/ApoA-1 infusion and ApoA-1 gene therapy in atherosclerosis

The HDL hypothesis stating that simply raising HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) may produce cardiovascular benefits has been questioned recently based on several randomized clinical trials using CETP inhibitors or niacin to raise HDL-C levels. However extensive pre-clinical data support the vascular protect...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kuang-Yuh eChyu, Prediman K Shah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2015-09-01
Series:Frontiers in Pharmacology
Subjects:
HDL
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphar.2015.00187/full
Description
Summary:The HDL hypothesis stating that simply raising HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) may produce cardiovascular benefits has been questioned recently based on several randomized clinical trials using CETP inhibitors or niacin to raise HDL-C levels. However extensive pre-clinical data support the vascular protective effects of administration of exogenous ApoA-1 containing pre-HDL like particles.Several small proof-of-concept clinical trials using such HDL/ApoA-1 infusion therapy have shown encouraging results but definitive proof of efficacy must await large scale clinical trials. In addition to HDL infusion therapy an alternative way to exploit beneficial cardiovascular effects of HDL/ApoA-1 is to use gene transfer. Preclinical studies have shown evidence of benefit using this approach; however clinical validation is yet lacking. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the aforementioned strategies.
ISSN:1663-9812