Shifting the Focus of Preclinical, Murine Atherosclerosis Studies From Prevention to Late-Stage Intervention

Circ Res. 2017 Mar 3;120(5):775-777. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.310101.

Abstract

Could improving the design of preclinical murine atherosclerosis studies help increase the success rate of cardiovascular clinical trials? In this Viewpoint, the authors advocate for a change from prevention to intervention study designs and rigorous lesion analyses which they argue will enhance the translational potential of murine atherosclerosis studies.

Keywords: atherosclerosis; collagen; coronary disease; diabetes mellitus; myocardial infarction; smooth muscle; translational medical research.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anticholesteremic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Atherosclerosis / etiology
  • Atherosclerosis / prevention & control
  • Atherosclerosis / therapy*
  • Cell Lineage
  • Cell Plasticity
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Hypercholesterolemia / complications
  • Hypercholesterolemia / drug therapy
  • Mice
  • PCSK9 Inhibitors
  • Plaque, Atherosclerotic / etiology
  • Plaque, Atherosclerotic / pathology
  • Research Design
  • Rupture, Spontaneous
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • Anticholesteremic Agents
  • PCSK9 Inhibitors
  • Pcsk9 protein, mouse