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Will an understanding of inflammation and Lp-PLA2 help Lynne prepare for a future free from atherosclerosis?

Inflammation is normally a natural, healing, self-limiting defence against injury and infection. But recent studies have identified that inflammatory processes may actually promote atherosclerosis ­ putting seemingly otherwise healthy people like Lynne at risk from cardiovascular events.

Despite leading a healthy lifestyle and getting a clean bill of health from the family doctor, Lynne's future is still uncertain. Strokes and heart attacks can strike seemingly without warning or reason. So could inflammation hold the key to predicting a healthier future?

That's the question that led researchers at GlaxoSmithKline to Lp-PLA2 (lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2). Usually bound to LDL, found in plaque and secreted by macrophages, our researchers hypothesised that the enzymatic action of Lp-PLA2 yielded substances that caused inflammation, so-called inflammatory mediators. But first the linear sequence of the amino acids composing the structure of Lp-PLA2 had to be determined - potentially an arduous and daunting process.

Fortunately, GSK’s breakthrough work in genomics allowed us to accelerate this process by deducing the entire gene sequence based only on a mere fragment of 70 amino acids. What would have normally taken years was accomplished in mere weeks. And that means we are years ahead in the development of drug therapies to combat the leading cause of death in industrialised societies.

Through the power of genomics, the input of enzymology and clinical research, the impact of epidemiology and innovative chemistry and biology, the Research and Development team at GlaxoSmithKline works towards a single goal. We want people like Lynne to enjoy a longer, healthier life, without having to worry about what the future might hold.

But this isn’t something we can achieve alone, which is why we have established a number of ambitious collaborative projects with key academic research laboratories. So we need people like you, if we’re to further our understanding of the disease and evaluate potential therapeutics. Take some time to learn about our research, our people and what opportunities GSK offers you.

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