title: Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibition-friend or foe?
abstract: This article sets out the clinical context of the research presented by Samaha et al. in an accompanying article in this issue. Hyperlipidemia is a common and important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Current lipid-lowering therapies, particularly statins, lead to substantial decreases in cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality, but use has been limited by safety or efficacy issues. The way has, therefore, been paved for the pharmaceutical development and clinical investigation of new lipid-lowering therapies. The clinical trial by Samaha et al. examines the safety and efficacy of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibition for lowering lipids. Joy and Hegele explore the difficulties of translating microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibition into clinical practice because of the trade-off between efficacy and potential adverse effects. They also stress the need for outcome studies, rather than biochemical or surrogate studies, as the final arbiter for the clinical use of this new treatment.
authors.affiliation: Blackburn Cardiovascular Genetics Laboratory, The Robarts Research Institute, in London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Tisha R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Joy
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hegele
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; C106092:microsomal triglyceride transfer protein