LOS ANGELES (February 16, 2000) -- A mutant gene discovered in
the 1980s in family members from a small town in Italy may lead
to major changes in the prevention and treatment of clogged
arteries that lead to heart attacks and strokes. Limited human
studies using the unique protein produced by this gene are
expected to begin during the second or third quarter of 2000,
according to cardiology researcher P.K. Shah, M.D., director of
the medical center's division of cardiology. Another study using
the gene itself is also anticipated in the future. Members of a
family from Limone, Italy, have been virtually immune to
cholesterol-related heart problems and strokes, even if they
engaged in lifestyle practices such as smoking and overeating
that normally lead to increased risk. Drs. Cesare Sirtori and
Guido Franceschini of the University of Milan identified the
gene, referred to as the apolipoprotein A-1 Milano gene,
commonly shortened to apo A-1 Milano. Although the gene was
discovered in the 1980s, whether it prot