Lay summary
Twenty percent of people have high levels of a form of blood cholesterol called "Lp(a)" which predisposes them to heart attacks. New drugs have been developed for lowering Lp(a) which are currently in clinical trials but are likely to be expensive if approved. We recently discovered a novel clearance pathway for Lp(a) in liver cells which is regulated by serotonin-enhancing antidepressants. Our research will investigate the mechanisms behind the regulation of Lp(a) clearance by serotonin in cell and animal models and establish if these antidepressants have the potential to be repurposed for Lp(a)-lowering. The knowledge generated from this study will determine if drugs used to treat depression can also be used to lower Lp(a) levels and therefore heart disease risk. This has potential to reduce medication costs and problems with adherence to multiple drugs for people suffering from these two major, often co-existing, health problems.