👤 Mahmoud Al Rifai

Obicetrapib, an oral cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor, has demonstrated potent LDL-C lowering in recent phase 2/3 trials. We evaluated Obicetrapib (1, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg) efficacy and safety in adults with dyslipidemia, with or without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) identified through PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science up to June 2025. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed as risk ratios (RRs) and continuous outcomes as mean differences (MDs), both with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). CRD420251107076. Six RCTs including 3399 patients were analysed. Compared with placebo, Obicetrapib significantly reduced LDL-C at 8-12 weeks (MD -27.66 mg/dL (-26.96%); 95% CI -33.62 to -21.70; p < 0.0001) and non-HDL-C (MD -35.41 mg/dL (-28.08%); 95% CI -39.42 to -31.39; p < 0.0001). It also increased HDL-C (MD 70.85 mg/dL (141.7%); 95% CI 62.56-79.15; p < 0.0001) and improved achievement of LDL-C targets: <55 mg/dL (RR 6.42; 95% CI 5.15-8.01), <70 mg/dL (RR 2.56; p < 0.0001), and < 100 mg/dL (RR 1.34; p < 0.0001). No significant differences were found in total adverse events (p = 0.41) or serious adverse events (p = 0.37). Obicetrapib provides substantial improvements in lipid parameters with a favourable short-term adverse events rate. These results support its role as a potential adjunctive lipid-lowering agent irrespective of ASCVD risk. Longer-term trials are warranted to confirm its durability, cardiovascular outcomes, and safety. Show less

Hypertriglyceridemia has been proposed as a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Triglycerides (TG) are viewed as a marker for remnant cholesterol in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, as this remnant cholesterol has been identified as a causal risk factor for ASCVD. The limited number of effective treatments for elevated TG has fueled the search for novel pharmacotherapy options, and multiple medication classes are being explored. Apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) and angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) are among the most promising targets. Several novel agents utilizing these pathways, including olezarsen, plozasiran, and zodasiran, are currently under development for the management of elevated TG, with olezarsen approved in 2024 for the management of familial chylomicronemia syndrome. This comprehensive review provides updated insights into the development of novel hypertriglyceridemia treatments. Show less

H3K27me3 histone marks shape the inhibition of gene transcription. In prostate cancer, the deregulation of H3K27me3 marks might play a role in prostate tumor progression. We investigated genome-wide H3K27me3 histone methylation profile using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and 2X400K promoter microarrays to identify differentially-enriched regions in biopsy samples from prostate cancer patients. H3K27me3 marks were assessed in 34 prostate tumors: 11 with Gleason score > 7 (GS > 7), 10 with Gleason score ≤ 7 (GS ≤ 7), and 13 morphologically normal prostate samples. Here, H3K27me3 profiling identified an average of 386 enriched-genes on promoter regions in healthy control group versus 545 genes in GS ≤ 7 and 748 genes in GS > 7 group. We then ran a factorial discriminant analysis (FDA) and compared the enriched genes in prostate-tumor biopsies and normal biopsies using ANOVA to identify significantly differentially-enriched genes. The analysis identified ALG5, EXOSC8, CBX1, GRID2, GRIN3B, ING3, MYO1D, NPHP3-AS1, MSH6, FBXO11, SND1, SPATS2, TENM4 and TRA2A genes. These genes are possibly associated with prostate cancer. Notably, the H3K27me3 histone mark emerged as a novel regulatory mechanism in poor-prognosis prostate cancer. Our findings point to epigenetic mark H3K27me3 as an important event in prostate carcinogenesis and progression. The results reported here provide new molecular insights into the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. Show less

The apolipoprotein gene cluster (APOA1/C3/A4/A5) was recently associated with triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in non-diabetic population. Little is known whether the variations in these genes affect lipid homeostasis in patients with type 2 diabetes. We examined the associations of 10 polymorphisms at APOA1/C3/A4/A5 gene cluster with blood lipids among 902 diabetic women. A linkage disequilibrium (LD) breakdown was observed between APOA5 and other genes. APOA5 S19W was associated with significantly higher fasting TG levels (P=0.001). Two common haplotypes encompassing four APOA5 polymorphisms (SNP1, SNP2, S19W, and SNP3) were associated with 35.6 mg/dL (haplotype 2212, APOA5*2, P=0.016) and 57.8 mg/dL (haplotype 1121, APOA5*3, P=0.0002) higher fasting TG levels compared with the most common (haplotype 1111, APOA5*1), respectively. Adjustment for age, BMI, and other covariates did not appreciably change such associations. In addition, APOC3 promoter polymorphism -455T/C showed significant associations with fasting TG levels (P=0.006), whereas APOA4 +347T/A showed significant associations with lower levels of HDL-C (P=0.017). Our results indicate that the variability in APOA1/C3/A4/A5 gene cluster may affect TG and HDL levels in women with type 2 diabetes. Show less