Abnormal HDL cholesterol and artery plaque formation
Human Atherogenesis with Underlying Dysfunctional HDL-Free Cholesterol
This project looks at whether unusually cholesterol-rich HDL particles help cholesterol build up in artery walls in people at risk for heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Methodist Hospital Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11300968 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers will compare blood samples and artery-related cell tests from people with very high HDL cholesterol to samples from other participants while also using a mouse model that mimics the human high-HDL situation. They will measure how much free cholesterol sits on HDL particles and track whether that cholesterol moves into artery-wall immune cells (macrophages). The team uses a new metric called HDL‑FCBI (HDL particle number x percent HDL free cholesterol) and laboratory assays of cholesterol transfer to and from macrophages. The work aims to link these measurements to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk to explain why very high HDL sometimes fails to protect and may even be harmful.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with very high HDL cholesterol or people with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who can provide blood samples and clinical information.
Not a fit: People without high HDL levels or without atherosclerosis, or those unwilling to give blood or travel to the study site, are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could explain why some people with very high HDL still get artery disease and point to new tests or treatments to lower that risk.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work showed that free-cholesterol efflux can predict risk while HDL-raising therapies failed, and the HDL‑FCBI approach is a new metric introduced by this team and not yet widely tested.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Methodist Hospital Research Institute — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pownall, Henry J. — Methodist Hospital Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Pownall, Henry J.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.