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 06 July 2008 15:53 BST

Scientists find new way of lowering cholesterol

Thursday, 27 Mar 2008 09:20
The injection lowered cholesterol after three doses

Health In Focus 

Scientists have lowered cholesterol in monkeys for the first time, potentially leading to new ways of treating a number of diseases.

The researchers reduced cholesterol in monkeys by 'silencing' micro RNAs, which are thought to play important roles in development and disease.

A team led by Dr Sakari Kauppinen, visiting professor at Wilhelm Johannsen Centre for Functional Genome Research, University of Copenhagen, created injections of a molecule to block liver micro RNAs that play a role in cholesterol metabolism.

The target micro RNA is known as miR-122.

Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers say effective silencing was achieved after the monkeys received three doses of the drug.

The effect is said to be long lasting and no evidence of adverse reactions was uncovered.

Dr Kauppinen said the team are "excited" by the results of the study as they hold "great promise" for future research.

"Even though further studies will be needed to optimise the dosing regimen and to assess the safety of [the drug] after long-term treatment, our findings represent an important step towards the development of LNA-based microRNA therapeutics," he added.

Santaris Pharma has the worldwide pharmaceutical rights to the technology and the company is now planning a phase one clinical trial in healthy human volunteers to take place in the first half of 2008.
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