New cholesterol-lowering vaccine ‘could prevent heart disease’

Scientists have reported success from an early study of a cholesterol-lowering vaccine that could essentially immunise users against cardiovascular disease.

Published in the European Heart Journal, the research showed the AT04A vaccine – developed by biotech company AFFiRis – could provide effective long-term protection against heart problems.

The vaccine works by causing the body to produce antibodies against an enzyme called PCSK9 , which is known to play a key role in preventing the clearance of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol from the blood.

When given to mice that had been fed diets of fatty food, the therapy was shown to reduce cholesterol levels by 53 percent, shrink atherosclerotic damage to blood vessels by 64 percent and reduce biological markers of blood vessel inflammation by 21 to 28 percent, when compared to unvaccinated mice.

Moreover, the induced antibodies remained functional over the whole study period, avoiding the high costs that would be associated with frequent reapplication.

Dr Gunther Staffler, chief technology officer at AFFiRis, said: "If these findings translate successfully into humans, this could mean that – as the induced antibodies persist for months after a vaccination – we could develop a long-lasting therapy that after the first vaccination just needs an annual booster."

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