NHLBI-funded researchers uncover a new potential therapeutic approach for a number of diseases linked to inflammation, including atherosclerosis, aortic stenosis and hepatic steatosis, a liver disease.
In the study, published in Nature, the researchers reported that they can block inflammation in mice with a naturally occurring antibody that binds oxidized phospholipids (OxPL), molecules on cell surfaces that change due to inflammation. Even while on a high-fat diet, the antibody protected the mice from arterial plaque formation, hardening of the arteries and liver disease, and prolonged their lives.
This is the first demonstration in a living system that oxidized phospholipids trigger inflammation and leads to plaque formation. The results also suggest a new approach for preventing or reversing a number of inflammatory diseases.