Libby Peter, Tokgözoğlu Lale
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Department of Cardiology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Nat Cardiovasc Res. 2022 Jun;1(6):554-561. doi: 10.1038/s44161-022-00085-x. Epub 2022 Jun 15.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) indubitably contributes causally to atherosclerosis, a leading challenge to health worldwide. Interventions that lower LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) have made remarkable inroads against this global scourge. Recent therapeutic advances have achieved ever lower levels of LDL-C. Improved cardiovascular outcomes continue to accrue from these interventions. In particular, the discovery of the role of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) as the causal gene in autosomal-dominant hypercholesterolemia has led with remarkable speed to the development of novel agents to lower LDL-C concentrations beyond prior measures, and to alleviate further cardiovascular risk. We review how this story, and its position in the broader landscape of therapy to prevent atherosclerotic events, represents a notable victory of contemporary cardiovascular medicine and reflects successful partnerships between basic scientists, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, and clinical investigators. Continued cooperation in this manner promises to yield further progress in combating cardiovascular diseases beyond interventions on LDL-C.
低密度脂蛋白（LDL）无疑是动脉粥样硬化的病因，而动脉粥样硬化是全球健康面临的主要挑战。降低低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（LDL-C）的干预措施已在应对这一全球祸害方面取得了显著进展。最近的治疗进展使LDL-C水平降至更低。这些干预措施持续带来心血管结局的改善。特别是，前蛋白转化酶枯草溶菌素/kexin 9型（PCSK9）作为常染色体显性高胆固醇血症的致病基因的发现，迅速推动了新型药物的开发，以将LDL-C浓度降至先前措施之外的水平，并进一步降低心血管风险。我们回顾了这个故事，以及它在预防动脉粥样硬化事件的更广泛治疗领域中的地位，如何代表了当代心血管医学的一项显著胜利，并反映了基础科学家、制药和生物技术行业以及临床研究人员之间的成功合作。以这种方式继续合作有望在对抗心血管疾病方面取得进一步进展，而不仅仅是干预LDL-C。
