Reducing leftover heart disease risk beyond standard cholesterol treatment
Official title: New Approaches to Reduce Residual Cardiovascular Risk
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11249194 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program is developing new ways to lower the leftover risk of heart attack and stroke in people who already have low LDL cholesterol.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,484,600 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HL160487-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249194 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with a history of coronary artery disease or who remain at high risk because of elevated triglyceride-rich ApoB particles despite low LDL-C are the most likely future beneficiaries.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cardiovascular risk is driven mainly by non-lipid causes or who already have normal ApoB and triglyceride levels are less likely to benefit from these specific approaches.
What this research studies
Researchers are studying how the body makes and clears harmful ApoB-containing particles that can keep causing heart disease even when LDL is low. Using lab experiments, animal models, and a newly discovered small molecule that blocks the SCAP–SREBP pathway, the team will map the molecular steps that control production of cholesterol, triglycerides, and ApoB lipoproteins. Multiple projects and labs at UT Southwestern will work together to identify targets that could be turned into medicines. The goal is to translate these basic discoveries into therapies that reduce residual cardiovascular events.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new drugs that further lower harmful blood fats and reduce heart attacks and strokes in patients already treated for high LDL cholesterol.
How similar studies have gone: Some related therapies (for example, ANGPTL3 inhibitors) have successfully lowered triglycerides in patients, but directly targeting the SCAP/SREBP pathway is a newer, largely preclinical approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Horton, Jay D. — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Horton, Jay D.
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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.