membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase tagged posts

Protein that Blocks Body’s Ability to Clear Bad Cholesterol identified

Dawei Zhang
U of A researcher Dawei Zhang was part of an international team that identified the protein that interferes with the body’s ability to get rid of “bad” cholesterol, which could point the way to better treatments to prevent heart disease. (Photo: Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry)

Researchers are now looking to develop a drug that will boost existing statin drugs to prevent heart disease. The protein that interferes with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors that clear “bad” cholesterol from the blood was identified in findings recently published in Nature Communications by Dawei Zhang, associate professor of pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Excess LDL cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis — a narrowing and hardening of arteries — and ultimately, heart attack.

“We...

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