Angiopoietin-Like 3: From Discovery to Therapeutic Gene Editing

Hyperlipidemia is a major causal risk factor for atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD). Angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) has emerged as a promising molecular target to reduce CHD risk due to its regulation of all 3 major lipid traits: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. Here, the authors review the discovery of ANGPTL3, the role of ANGPTL3 in lipoprotein metabolism, and the genetic association between naturally occurring ANGPTL3 loss-of-function mutations and CHD. In light of the favorable consequences of ANGPTL3 deficiency, various therapeutic strategies to target ANGPTL3 are currently in development, including a monoclonal antibody, an antisense oligonucleotide, and gene editing.