Apolipoprotein Mimetic Peptides for Stimulating Cholesterol Effl ux

Apolipoprotein mimetic peptides are short synthetic peptides that have many of the same biological properties of ApoA-I, the main protein component of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). They have been shown to have beneficial effects in a wide variety of animal disease models, including atherosclerosis. One of the better understood properties of apolipoprotein mimetic peptides is their ability to promote the efflux of excess cellular cholesterol by the ABCA1 transporter and by other mechanisms. In this chapter, we will compare and contrast six different apolipoprotein mimetic peptides that are being investigated as possible therapeutic agents, particularly in regard to those features that are important in the cholesterol efflux process and in the overall reverse cholesterol transport pathway.