HDL Clearance Project

High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) particles are generally known as protective lipid-carrying particles due to their role in reverse cholesterol transport and in protection against blood-borne infections. Their synthesis, metabolism, interactions with other lipoprotein particles in the blood, and effects of diet have all been well studied and well characterized. It is also well known that in metabolic syndrome, hypertriglyceridemia, kidney disease, and other disorders, HDL concentrations are low. However, the mechanisms of how HDL are cleared and lost under these conditions are still not well known, and the role of the kidney in this process is still under investigation. The aim of the HDL Clearance project is to understand the specific compositional, functional, and morphologic/structural changes in HDL that lead to their catabolism in the kidney, as well as to build assessment platforms that can distinguish among the different types of HDL found in health and disease.