Insight into the Evolving Role of PCSK9.
作者信息
Maligłówka Mateusz, Kosowski Michał, Hachuła Marcin, Cyrnek Marcin, Bułdak Łukasz, Basiak Marcin, Bołdys Aleksandra, Machnik Grzegorz, Bułdak Rafał Jakub, Okopień Bogusław
机构信息
Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 40-007 Katowice, Poland.
Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Opole, 45-040 Opole, Poland.
出版信息
Metabolites. 2022 Mar 17;12(3):256. doi: 10.3390/metabo12030256.
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is the last discovered member of the family of proprotein convertases (PCs), mainly synthetized in hepatic cells. This serine protease plays a pivotal role in the reduction of the number of low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLRs) on the surface of hepatocytes, which leads to an increase in the level of cholesterol in the blood. This mechanism and the fact that gain of function (GOF) mutations in are responsible for causing familial hypercholesterolemia whereas loss-of-function (LOF) mutations are associated with hypocholesterolemia, prompted the invention of drugs that block PCSK9 action. The high efficiency of PCSK9 inhibitors (e.g., alirocumab, evolocumab) in decreasing cardiovascular risk, pleiotropic effects of other lipid-lowering drugs (e.g., statins) and the multifunctional character of other proprotein convertases, were the cause for proceeding studies on functions of PCSK9 beyond cholesterol metabolism. In this article, we summarize the current knowledge on the roles that PCSK9 plays in different tissues and perspectives for its clinical use.