A team of researchers has created a new cholesterol-lowering vaccine that will also help reduce the level of bad LDL in blood, IB Times reports.
The researchers believe that their vaccine is more powerful than any other alternatives available in the market. It will not only be cheaper than the daily statin pills but can also eliminate the need for daily statins.
"Statins are still the most commonly prescribed medications for cholesterol. Although they are effective in many people, do have side effects and don't work for everyone," said Dr. Alan Remaley, of the National Institutes of Health, in a press release.
"The results of our vaccine were very striking, and suggest it could be a powerful new treatment for high cholesterol."
Earlier, the same team of researchers had created the HPV vaccine.
Researchers at the National Institute of Health in the U.S. and the University of New Mexico have invented the vaccine collaboratively.
The new vaccine works by eliminating a protein called PCSK9 that stops the body from getting rid of excess cholesterol. This results in the excess cholesterol being removed from the body automatically.
The vaccine has been tested successfully on macaques and mice. Researchers are hopeful that the same vaccine could be used for effective treatment in humans as well.
The study has been published in the journal Vaccine.
