Protecting the heart Can new vaccination prevent heart attacks?

Doctors are developing new vaccine to lower blood cholesterol
A cholesterol-lowering vaccine could theoretically prevent heart attacks in the future, providing a reliable alternative to statins. The vaccine called AT04A triggers production of antibodies that target an enzyme to regulate blood cholesterol. In experiments on mice, the vaccine lowered blood cholesterol by 53 percent.

The scientists from the Netherlands Organization for applied scientific research (TNO) and the Austrian biotech company AFFiRis found in their study that the AT04A vaccine can reduce cholesterol in the blood and thus prevent heart attacks. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "European Heart Journal".

Can vaccination lead to a reduction in the rate of heart attack in the future? Physicians have now developed a vaccine that lowers blood cholesterol and thereby prevents heart attacks. (Image: REDPIXEL / fotolia.com)

Vaccine lowers blood cholesterol by 53 percent
While it remains to be seen whether the approach previously tested exclusively on mice is effective in human patients as well, scientists are hopeful that the effect will be comparable. AT04A affects an enzyme involved in the regulation of blood cholesterol. If the vaccine was given to mice with an unhealthy high-fat diet, their blood cholesterol dropped 53 percent, the researchers explain. The buildup of hard fiber deposits on the walls of the arteries has also been reduced by 64 percent. Biological markers of blood vessel inflammation have been reduced by up to 28 percent compared to mice without vaccination with AT04A. The vaccine could be used in the future to control cholesterol levels in high-risk patients, say the authors.

Vaccine can consistently and consistently reduce cholesterol levels
AT04A induces antibodies that target the enzyme PCSK9 in the circulation of treated mice throughout the study period, explains researcher Dr. Gunther Staffler from the Austrian biotech company AFFiRis, which developed the new vaccine. As a result, cholesterol levels have been reduced in a consistent and sustained manner, resulting in a reduction in arterial fat deposits and atherosclerotic damage, as well as reduced arterial wall inflammation, the expert adds.

Vaccination only needs an annual refresher
If the new findings are successfully applied to humans, the induced antibodies could persist for months after vaccination in the body of those affected. Thus, a long-lasting therapy can be developed, which requires only an annual refresher after the first vaccination, explain the scientists. This would result in an effective and more convenient treatment for patients.

What causes PCSK9 in the body?
PCSK9 is produced in the liver and blocks the so-called LDL receptor molecules on the cells, which allow the body to remove the harmful cholesterol. The vaccine causes the body to produce antibodies that can immobilize the enzyme. This keeps the LDL receptors active. In essence, it is an immunotherapy treatment. Unlike a traditional vaccine targeting invaders such as bacteria and viruses, AT04A causes the immune system to attack one of the body's own proteins, the authors explain.

Further study already checks safety and efficacy in humans
There is already a Phase I study investigating the safety and activity of the vaccine in 72 healthy patients. This study was started in 2015 at the Medical University of Vienna and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. If similar effects are achieved in both humans and mice, the vaccine could potentially be used to reduce heart attacks in the future. (As)