Against atherosclerosis and possibly cancer
The reason for blocking the withdrawal of "bad" cholesterol from the body has been found
Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+
First of all, the discovery will help to avoid side effects from statin therapy, which has been prescribed for many years to patients with risks of developing cardiovascular events. In the future, scientists hope to establish preventive control over cholesterol, heart and vascular diseases and, possibly, even over the development of cancer.
An international team of researchers led by Canadian scientists from the University of Alberta has determined that the MT1-MMP protein (matrix metalloproteinase membrane type 1) interferes with the body's ability to get rid of the so-called "bad" cholesterol. It is known that excess cholesterol – low–density lipoproteins - can lead to the development of atherosclerosis and, eventually, a heart attack.
Article by Alabi et al. Membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase promotes LDL receptor shedding and accelerates the development of atherosclerosis published in the journal Nature Communications – VM.
Scientists accidentally noticed MT1-MMP when they were studying the role of another protein involved in the work of the heart. "For many years, we understood that these receptors could be cleaved, but no one knew which protein was responsible for this," commented the head of the work, Dawei Zhang.
MT1-MMP performs many important physiological functions. Currently, scientists intend to focus their attention only on a certain area of the protein that acts on the low-density lipoprotein receptor. They plan to further narrow the impact from a potential drug so that the therapy works only in the liver, reducing the risks of side effects. The first results obtained were very promising, the authors previously reported.
First of all, with the help of a new therapeutic approach, scientists intend to enhance the effect of statin therapy. These drugs reduce the risk of developing a heart attack by about 20-40%, however, due to the likely serious complications, long-term high dosages are not prescribed. Scientists expect that exposure to MT1-MMP will enhance the effect of statins.
One of the most attractive areas outside of cardiovascular diseases is the role of MT1-MMP in the development of cancer, so scientists also plan to expand cooperation with specialists in this field to determine more properties of the protein in the nature of cancer.
"One protein is a common risk factor for two of the most common diseases in humans at once – cancer and cardiovascular diseases, so we are studying whether exposure to it can affect both problems," Zhang concluded.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru