Composition for preventing or treating vascular disease comprising HAPLN1

A high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis inhibitor using HAPLN1 protein to prevent vascular smooth muscle cell dedifferentiation

This technology utilizes HAPLN1, a protein known for cartilage binding, as an active ingredient in pharmaceutical compositions for preventing and treating atherosclerosis caused by high-fat diets, as well as in health functional food compositions for prevention and improvement. HAPLN1 slows vascular aging and damage by maintaining the integrity of the vascular wall's elastic fiber layer and vascular smooth muscle cells.

Vascular disease is the second leading cause of death in Korea and the first worldwide. Vascular aging, characterized by the thickening of vessel walls and loss of elasticity, has been identified as a key cause of atherosclerosis and hypertension. However, no drugs currently exist to prevent or reverse the thickening of the vascular media or the loss of elasticity. Previous research on HAPLN1 has only reported its role as a biomarker or its potential to cause disease, never as a therapeutic agent for vascular disease.

This technology leverages the ability of HAPLN1 to inhibit damage to the elastin fiber layer and the loss of transgelin, a marker of healthy smooth muscle cells. It also blocks the phosphorylation of NF-κB and FAK in vascular smooth muscle cells, preventing them from transitioning into a proliferative state that exacerbates lesions. This allows for a preventive approach that slows progression during the vascular aging stage rather than just treating symptoms after they appear. It can be applied to protein therapeutics for atherosclerosis, health functional foods for those with high-fat diets, and anti-aging materials for vascular health, enabling the capture of the untapped market for vascular elasticity-restoring drugs.

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Key Features:

• A pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis, comprising HAPLN1 consisting of the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 as an active ingredient
• HAPLN1 active ingredient that inhibits and improves damage to the elastin fiber layer of the vascular wall and the loss of transgelin
• HAPLN1 active ingredient that inhibits the phosphorylation of NF-κB or FAK in vascular smooth muscle cells to prevent their conversion into proliferative smooth muscle cells
• A health functional food composition for preventing or improving high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis, comprising HAPLN1 of SEQ ID NO: 1 as an active ingredient

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for research on the mechanisms and commercialization of HAPLN1, a novel protein for improving skin aging.

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