Inventors:
Harold A. Chapman - San Francisco CA
Guo-Ping Shi - San Francisco CA
Peter Libby - Boston MA
Galina K. Sukhova - Swampscott MA
Daniel I. Simon - Waban MA
Assignee:
The Brigham and Womens Hospital, Inc. - Boston MA
International Classification:
A61K 3816
US Classification:
424 941, 424 946, 424 9465, 530330
Abstract:
The invention provides methods of treating and preventing vascular diseases, by inhibiting cysteine proteases active at sites of vascular injury, particularly cathepsins K and S, by administering cystatin C or TGF-. Cystatin C is severely reduced in both atherosclerotic and aneurysmal aortic lesions. Also provided is a method of diagnosing a patient at risk of, or with, vascular injury by detecting low levels of circulating cystatin C.