Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 17, 2025

Viral Transgene Expression in Rodent Hearts and the Assessment of Cardiac Arrhythmia Risk
Published on: July 27, 2022
Tolerogenic vaccines for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases
Fernando Lozano Vigario1, Johan Kuiper1, Bram Slütter1
1Division of BioTherapeutics, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Einsteinweg 55, PO Box 9502, 2300RA Leiden, the Netherlands.
Abstract:
Atherosclerosis is the main pathology behind most cardiovascular diseases. It is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of lipid-rich plaques in arteries. Atherosclerotic plaques are initiated by the deposition of cholesterol-rich LDL particles in the arterial walls leading to the activation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Current treatments focus on the reduction of LDL blood levels using statins, however the critical components of inflammation and autoimmunity have been mostly ignored as therapeutic targets. The restoration of immune tolerance towards atherosclerosis-relevant antigens can arrest lesion development as shown in pre-clinical models. In this review, we evaluate the clinical development of similar strategies for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis and analyse the potential of tolerogenic vaccines for atherosclerosis and the challenges that need to be overcome to bring this therapy to patients.
Related Concept Videos
Cardiovascular Drugs: Classification based on Therapeutic Indications
Myocarditis III: Medical Management
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
Rheumatic Heart Disease III: Medical Management
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists
ETs are synthesized through a complex sequence of enzymatic steps, primarily involving an enzyme referred to as endothelin-converting enzyme...
Adrenergic Antagonists: ɑ and β-Receptor Blockers

