The Reporter: February 1997, Vol.8, No.1
Research Notes
New Mouse Mimics Disorder

Researchers at CPMC and colleagues have developed a mouse model for the most common genetic cause of a lipid disorder associated with premature heart disease. The study appears in the Jan. 17 issue of Science. Familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL) is a common inherited disorder that causes high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels in 1 percent to 2 percent of the Western population. People with FCHL frequently develop heart disease before age 55. The mouse model may provide clues to the origin of human FCHL and allow the study of drugs to treat the disorder.

The exact genetic mutation that causes FCHL is not yet known. The study suggests, however, that the apolipoprotein C-III (APOC3) gene is involved, says senior author Dr. Alan R. Tall, the Tilden Weger Bieler Professor of Preventive Medicine and chief of the Specialized Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Atherosclerosis.