This review summarizes the main achievements in basic and clinical research of atherosclerosis. Focusing on desialylation as the first and the most important reaction of proatherogenic pathological cascade, we speak of how desialylation increases the atherogenic properties of low density lipoproteins and decreases the anti-atherogenic properties of high density lipoproteins. The separate sections of this paper are devoted to immunogenicity of lipoproteins, the enzymes contributing to their desialylation and animal models of atherosclerosis. In addition, we evaluate the available experimental and diagnostic protocols that can be used to develop new therapeutic approaches for atherosclerosis.
Keywords: HDL; LDL; animal models of atherosclerosis; anti-LDL antibodies; apolipoproteins; atherogenesis; desialylation; diagnostics of atherosclerosis; sialidase; trans-sialidase; treatment options for atherosclerosis.