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A High-Throughput Luciferase Assay to Evaluate Proteolysis of the Single-Turnover Protease PCSK9
Published on: August 28, 2018
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PCSK9: A novel inflammation modulator in atherosclerosis?
Zhi-Han Tang1,2, Tao-Hua Li1, Juan Peng1,2
1Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Key Lab for Arteriosclerology of Hunan Province, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
Journal of Cellular Physiology
|September 25, 2018
Summary
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) inhibition is a strategy against atherosclerosis. Emerging evidence reveals PCSK9 also promotes atherosclerosis via inflammation, suggesting new therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Biology
- Molecular Medicine
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) elevates LDL-cholesterol by degrading LDLR, contributing to atherosclerosis.
- PCSK9 inhibition is a therapeutic strategy for hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.
- Growing evidence implicates PCSK9 in inflammatory processes beyond lipid metabolism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the association between PCSK9 and inflammation in atherosclerosis.
- To highlight PCSK9's specific effects on vascular cells involved in atherosclerotic inflammation.
- To discuss clinical evidence linking PCSK9 and inflammation in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on PCSK9, inflammation, and atherosclerosis.
- Analysis of PCSK9's role in cellular components of vascular inflammation.
- Examination of clinical data correlating PCSK9 levels with inflammatory markers in cardiovascular disease.
Main Results:
- PCSK9 influences various vascular cellular components central to atherosclerotic inflammation.
- Clinical studies support a link between PCSK9 and inflammatory pathways in cardiovascular disease.
- PCSK9's inflammatory actions represent a significant mechanism promoting atherosclerosis.
Conclusions:
- PCSK9 has a direct role in atherosclerotic inflammation, independent of its effects on LDL-c.
- Understanding PCSK9's inflammatory functions may reveal novel therapeutic strategies for atherosclerosis.
- Targeting PCSK9's inflammatory pathways could offer new avenues for cardiovascular disease treatment.
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