HDL Mimetic Peptides.

Since therapeutic strategies designed to raise HDL failed to exert the expected effective cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes in clinical trials, how to improve HDL function rather than its plasma level has become a new focus of scientists' attention. Numerous HDL mimetic peptides have been designed and investigated in various animal models in recent years. Although the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, the peptides' antiatherogenic effects, such as acceleration of RCT and improvement of natural HDL function without necessarily raising its level, showed a promising therapeutic role in the prevention of atherosclerosis and other diseases. This chapter reviews recent studies on the roles and potentials of HDL mimetic peptides in atherosclerosis-related CVD.