Experts at IIT Kanpur may be able to produce new medications that lower cholesterol with fewer adverse effects as a result of their research.
New insights have been disclosed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur into the molecular mechanisms underlying the action of cholesterol-lowering medications such as niacin.
Arun K. Shukla, professor of the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, led a team of researchers who were able to see the main target receptor molecule that is activated by niacin and other comparable medications, according to a press statement released by the institute.
The study may result in the creation of novel cholesterol-lowering medications with fewer adverse effects.
The press announcement stated that the research’s conclusions have been published in the international journal Nature Communications.A typical prescription medication that lowers triglycerides and bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol is niacin.
The medication frequently produces “flushing response” side effects in individuals, which include itching and redness of the skin. Patients discontinue their treatment as a result, which has a negative impact on their cholesterol levels.
It Is added that the findings will aid in the development of related medications for cholesterol and medications for other illnesses like multiple sclerosis.
Visualization of the receptor molecules with niacin at the molecular level lays the foundation for developing new drugs that maintain efficacy while minimizing undesirable reactions.