Scientists Identify Genes That Influence 'Bad' Cholesterol Levels

Four genes in baboons that regulate bad cholesterol levels have been discovered by researchers.

Laura Cox, Ph.D., a Texas Biomed geneticist, said that their findings are important as they provide new targets for the development of novel drugs to reduce heart disease risk in humans.

High Cholesterol | Hypercholesterolemia - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment
High cholesterol level in blood are a risk for heart disease and stroke. They get deposited in the wall of the arteries and clog the circulation posing a threat to life.

She said that since these genes have previously been associated with cancer, their findings suggest that genetic causes of heart disease may overlap with causes of some types of cancer.

Scientists from Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio screened their baboon colony of 1,500 animals to find three half-siblings with low levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad," cholesterol, and three half-siblings with high levels of LDL.

In the study, the animals were fed a high-cholesterol, high-fat diet for seven weeks then scientists used gene array technology and high throughput sequencers to home in on the genes expressed in the two groups and differentiate those in the low LDL groups from those in the high LDL group.

Cholesterol - Lipoproteins - Functions - Normal Blood Cholesterol Levels - Causes - Treatment - FAQs
Cholesterol is produced by the body (liver) and is essential for normal body functioning.

They discovered that four genes (named TENC1, ERBB3, ACVR1B, and DGKA) influence LDL levels.

Meanwhile, these four genes are part of a signaling pathway important for cell survival and disruption of this pathway promotes some types of cancer.

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Animal based food contains a high level of cholesterol that is one of the major risk factors causing the heart diseases. Use the cholesterol level calculator to find out the cholesterol and fat content in different animal based products.

The new study has been published online in Journal of Lipid Research.

Source-ANI

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