A Novel Diagnostic Test for Atherosclerosis and Clinically Active Coronary Artery Disease
Introduction Low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) are associated with a greatly increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Evidence indicates that HDL protects against atherosclerosis by removing cholesterol from macrophages in the artery wall. In vitro studies indicate that chlorination of apolipoprotein A-I, the major protein of HDL, blocks its ability to promote cholesterol efflux from cells. Nitration of apolipoprotein A-I is also inhibitory, though less so than chlorination. Researchers at the University of Washington have found that patients with coronary artery disease have significantly greater levels of oxidized HDL products than patients without coronary artery disease. This observation raises the possibility that the level of oxidized HDL in plasma represents a novel risk factor for detecting clinically significant CAD. Technology description The measurement of oxidized amino acids in HDL can be used as a diagnostic test for predicting those at risk for CAD and perhaps other forms of atherosclerotic vascular disease. Alterations in the levels of oxidized amino acids in HDL could also provide a new way of evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of antioxidant and non-antioxidant therapies. In addition, this test could be a new way to evaluate “oxidative stress” in humans, which is implicated in the pathogenesis of many human diseases as well as the aging process. Business Opportunity CAD is the most common type of heart disease. It is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women, affecting more than 13 million Americans. According to present trends in the United States, half of healthy 40-year-old males will develop CAD in the future, and one in three healthy 40-year-old women. The world market for cardiac disease-related in vitro diagnostics is estimated to grow to $930 million by 2010. Intellectual Property Position U.S. and foreign patent applications are pending for this technology (WO/2006/014628). Related Publication(s)Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2004 Aug 31;101(35):13032-7.
Type of Offer: Licensing
« More Life Sciences Patents
« More Medical Patents