A recent study conducted at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institute has demonstrated that the immune defence's T cells can target and destroy the "bad" LDL cholesterol, leading to atherosclerosis.
By producing a vaccine against the T cell receptors, the researchers have managed to inhibit the development of atherosclerosis in animals. The study is presented online in the distinguished periodical Journal of Experimental Medicine and is expected to be of considerable significance to the future treatment of atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.
What is a heart attack / How to prevent heart attacks
Heart attack is the death of the heart muscle due to loss of blood supply. Simple guidelines to avoid heart attack are listed.
Heart attack is the death of the heart muscle due to loss of blood supply. Simple guidelines to avoid heart attack are listed.
It was previously thought that the inflammation in the blood vessels arises when the T cells react to oxidised LDL particles located in the atherosclerotic plaque. Now, however, the team at Karolinska Institutet has found that the opposite is true, namely that the T cells react to components in the normal LDL particles, and that they no longer recognise LDL once it has been oxidised.
"Since reactions to LDL can be dangerous, T cells are normally held in check by inhibitory signals," says Professor Gvran K Hansson, who led the study. "The body's own control works well as long as the LDL keeps to the blood, liver and lymph glands. But when it accumulates in the artery wall, this inhibition is no longer enough, the T cells are activated and an inflammation arises."
Cholesterol - Lipoproteins - Functions - Normal Blood Cholesterol Levels - Causes - Treatment - FAQs
Cholesterol is produced by the body (liver) and is essential for normal body functioning.
Cholesterol is produced by the body (liver) and is essential for normal body functioning.
The vaccine has been successfully tested on animals and the researchers are now hoping to see if it can be developed into a treatment for patients with a high risk of myocardial infarction and stroke.
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Respiratory diseases affect any part of the respiratory system. Some of the lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can lead to respiratory failure.
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High blood pressure or hypertension is a chronic condition, which usually lasts a lifetime once it is developed.
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