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Mechanisms of disease: HDL metabolism as a target for novel therapies.

Rader DJ

Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 654 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. rader@mail.med.upenn.edu

Plasma concentrations of HDL cholesterol are inversely correlated with risk of coronary heart disease, and low HDL-cholesterol levels are a risk factor even in patients aggressively treated for LDL reduction. Thus, there is great interest in targeting HDL cholesterol therapeutically. The existing approaches are limited in their ability to raise HDL-cholesterol levels, and there has, therefore, been a major focus on the development of novel therapies. The goal of new approaches is to either raise HDL-cholesterol levels or improve the function of HDL. Here, the current status of the development of novel therapies targeted toward HDL metabolism is reviewed.

Published 24 January 2007 in Nat Clin Pract Cardiovasc Med, 4(2): 102-9.
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