Helen Hobbs

New Capabilities

Identified the human genetic evidence underpinning all PCSK9 drugs

For two decades, lowering LDL cholesterol meant statins—pills taken daily that work, but leave one in five patients with muscle aches, liver enzyme spikes, or symptoms severe enough to quit. Researchers at the University of Barcelona and University of Oregon now report a different approach: a short, engineered DNA molecule that silences the gene controlling how the liver clears LDL, dropping cholesterol by nearly 50 percent in mice from a single injection.

Updated 3 hours ago