Janusz Kabarowski, PhD

The University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL

2012 Kidney
2012 New Treatments

Modulation of Autoimmunity by High-Density Lipoprotein in Lupus-prone mice

The Study and What it Means to Patients

“We’re investigating whether anti-inflammatory properties of HDL can be harnessed to protect the heart and blood vessels, and stem the immune system’s attack on other organs. If so, therapies increasing HDL levels or improving its protective function could treat lupus nephritis.”

Summary:
In addition to its role in controlling cholesterol levels in the body, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) has anti-inflammatory properties that may be important in preventing excessive inflammation and controlling activity of the immune system. We will investigate whether therapies aimed at increasing HDL levels or improving the protective function of HDL can be used to treat lupus nephritis in mice.

Scientific abstract:
The goal of this application is to determine whether therapeutic interventions designed to either raise levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or potentiate its anti-inflammatory properties are efficacious in attenuating autoimmunity and reducing the severity of end-stage kidney disease (glomerulonephritis) in SLE. This will be accomplished by transferring SLE by bone marrow transplantation into gene-targeted mice with normal HDL levels, high HDL levels or HDL deficiency and assessing lupus phenotypes, glomerulonephritis and systemic inflammation. Therapeutic effects of orally bioavailable HDL-targeting apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I) mimetic peptide will similarly be measured in lupus-prone mice. The results of this study will impact the development of new therapeutic approaches in lupus based on HDL.

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