EVANSTON, Ill.—Northwestern University scientists designed synthetic high-density lipoprotein (HDL), "good" cholesterol, that could help fight chronically high cholesterol levels and heart disease. Their nanoparticle version is capable of irreversibly binding cholesterol. The synthetic HDL, based on gold nanoparticles, is similar in size to HDL and mimics HDL's general surface composition.
In creating synthetic HDL, the researchers started with a gold nanoparticle as the core. They then layered on a lipid that attaches to the gold surface, then another lipid and last a protein, called APOA1, the main protein component of naturally occurring HDL. The final high-density lipoprotein nanoparticles are each about 18 nanometers in diameter, a size similar to natural HDL.
