Antibodies against oxidized low-density lipoprotein for the treatment of vulnerable plaques

Inflammation caused by the accumulation of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in the arterial wall is a key factor in the development of atherosclerosis. Accumulating evidence suggests that adaptive immune responses to oxLDL are of major importance in regulating the inflammatory response, and that humoral immunity largely has a protective effect in this process. This concept is supported by animal studies demonstrating that treatment with antibodies against oxLDL inhibits atherosclerosis. Human antibodies with high affinity and specificity for epitopes on oxLDL have been developed and are now, after appropriate safety testing and non-clinical toxicology, ready to be tested in humans. Patients that may benefit from antibody treatment are most likely to be high-risk individuals in which conventional treatments, including lipid-lowering statins, do not provide sufficient protection.