Dietary Antibody to Cholesterol Distinguished by Origo Biosciences

07/07/06 Origo Biosciences, a life sciences company, announced that it had identified a dietary antibody to cholesterol. According to the company, when ingested, this protein binds to cholesterol in the human digestive tract and blocks its absorption into the bloodstream. The discovery of this dairy-derived cholesterol absorption inhibitor may enable a new generation of functional dairy ingredients. Whey protein concentrates with anti-cholesterol antibodies could provide food and beverage companies with another food ingredient that already has widespread consumer appeal.

Managing cholesterol at the site of absorption is an increasingly popular strategy in the war on hypercholesterolemia. Phytosterols are currently the only cholesterol absorption inhibitor approved for use as a food ingredient. And Zetia, the new blockbuster drug from Schering-Plough and Merck, is the only such inhibitor approved as a drug.

Origo evaluated dairy sources from the US, Europe, New Zealand and Australia, including whey protein concentrates, colostrums, and fluid milks, measuring levels of anti-cholesterol antibodies. The company found a wide variation in anti-cholesterol concentrations, with several sources containing many hundreds of times more activity than the most popular whey protein concentrates and fluid milks. The company recently completed an in vitro evaluation of several sources, measuring their impact on cholesterol absorption in human intestinal cells. According to the company, it found that several of these sources significantly blocked cholesterol uptake at levels exceeding those previously reported for phytosterols and Zetia.

Origo is currently collaborating with a major research university to evaluate the efficacy in a preclinical animal trial. Following the completion of these preclinical studies, the company plans to conduct a human clinical evaluation.