Scientists Find Alternative Drug to Statins Could Help Control Cholesterol
The CTSA inhibitor stabilized LDL receptors and dramatically lowered circulating LDL in mice, offering a possible option for patients who cannot tolerate statins.
- Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine identified a previously unknown biological pathway explaining why high-cholesterol diets erode the body's ability to clear harmful LDL cholesterol, while also identifying a drug candidate already proven safe in humans.
- High dietary cholesterol activates a protein called Ral, which reduces the liver's LDL receptors. The team established that blocking an enzyme known as CTSA stabilizes these receptors and can "dramatically lower" circulating LDL cholesterol in mice.
- Originally developed for heart failure, the investigational drug successfully passed a Phase 1 clinical trial for safety. Professor Alan Saltiel, study senior author, believes the new findings indicate the medication is now ready to be tested in a Phase 2 trial.
- Unlike statins and PCSK9 inhibitors, this pathway is completely separate from existing drug targets, Saltiel added. It provides a new opportunity for patients who cannot reach safe cholesterol levels with current medications.
- Researchers hope to conduct a clinical trial to test the drug's effectiveness. Saltiel said this "could potentially bring a new treatment option to patients much sooner than would have been expected.
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33 Articles
A scientific team discovered a hidden biological pathway that explains why cholesterol-rich diets progressively diminish the body's ability to eliminate harmful cholesterol from blood and identified a candidate drug that could act specifically on that route.The results of research on mice and human cells are published in Nature magazine, in an article led by researchers from the University of California School of Medicine in San Diego, United St…
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Scientists find alternative drug to statins could help control cholesterol
Cholesterol-related heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide.
How high cholesterol dismantles the liver's defenses—and how a new drug could combat it
Cholesterol-related heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, and while doctors have more tools than ever to treat it, many patients still can't achieve safe cholesterol levels or can't tolerate the side effects of available medications.
Cardiovascular disease caused by elevated cholesterol levels remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Although there are many cholesterol-lowering medications on the market, many patients still fail to keep their cholesterol sufficiently low. Moreover, some struggle with unpleasant side effects. American researchers have now discovered a new biological mechanism that may open the door […] More science? Read the latest articles on Scientias.…
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