Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is a lipoprotein particle consisting of apolipoprotein(a) (Apo(a)) bound to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) containing apolipoprotein B (ApoB), where the LPA gene encoding for Apo(a) is only found in the genomes of humans and some non-human primates. LP(a) is similar in size and lipid content to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and is considered a new risk factor for several cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and stroke ^[1]. Lp(a) differs from LDL in that it contains an additional variable-length Apo(a), which covalently binds to ApoB-100 via a single disulfide bond. Lp(a) plays a crucial role in systemic lipid transport, guiding inflammatory cells into blood vessel walls and promoting smooth muscle cell proliferation. Additionally, it participates in wound healing and tissue repair, interacting with components of the blood vessel wall and extracellular matrix ^[2]. However, Lp(a) can also cause arterial narrowing by adhering to the arterial wall, accelerating blood clot formation, and triggering pathological changes related to coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and stroke ^[3]. The plasma concentration of Lp(a) is closely related to genetic factors, primarily regulated by the LPA gene. Consequently, the LPA gene represents an important potential target for cardiovascular disease treatment. Currently, several novel therapies aimed at modulating LPA gene transcription rates are under development, including small interfering RNA (siRNA) and antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drugs ^[4]. Given that the LPA gene is expressed only in humans and some non-human primates but not in mice, constructing a mouse model expressing the human LPA gene is crucial for the preclinical evaluation of lipid-lowering drugs. The H11-Alb-hLPA mouse is a humanized model where the human LPA protein coding sequence (CDS) is integrated into the mouse H11 safe harbor locus. In this model, the human LPA gene is specifically expressed in the liver under the control of the mouse Alb promoter. It can be used to study the pathogenic mechanisms of the LPA gene in hyperlipidemia and related cardiovascular diseases, as well as to evaluate targeted drug development. Additionally, Cyagen has developed a conditionally inducible LPA humanization model (catalog number: C001521) using the CAG promoter. When crossed with Alb-Cre mice (liver-specific Cre mice), the resulting LPA-humanized mice (catalog number: C001522) exhibit significantly higher LPA protein levels compared to the H11-Alb-hLPA mice. Therefore, researchers please choose the appropriate mouse strain based on their specific requirements for LPA protein expression levels and genetic characteristics.

Lipoprotein A (LPA) is a type of particle similar to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) that is considered one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, stroke, etc ^[1]. LP(a) is similar in size and lipid content to LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and also contains the lipoprotein ApoB-100. However, unlike LDL, LP(a) additionally contains a variable-length lipoprotein called Apo(a), which covalently binds to ApoB-100 through a single disulfide bond. LP(a) plays an important role in systemic lipid transport, guiding inflammatory cells into blood vessel walls and leading to smooth muscle cell proliferation. Furthermore, it is involved in wound healing and tissue repair, interacting with the components of blood vessel walls and the extracellular matrix ^[2]. However, LP(a) can also cause arterial narrowing by adhering to the arterial wall, accelerating the formation of blood clots, and thereby triggering a series of pathological changes related to coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, thrombus formation, and stroke ^[3]. The plasma concentration of LP(a) is closely related to genetic factors and is primarily regulated by the LPA gene. Therefore, the LPA gene is an important potential target for cardiovascular disease treatment. The LPA gene encodes a serine protease that inhibits the activity of tissue-type plasminogen activator I. Fragments of this protein, generated through protein hydrolysis, can adhere to atherosclerotic lesions in arteries, promoting blood clot formation. The LPA gene is expressed in both humans and non-human primates but is not expressed in mice. Constructing mouse models expressing the human LPA gene is of significant importance for developing lipid-lowering drugs, which can drive the development of novel therapies for cardiovascular diseases. Currently, various novel therapies targeting the transcription rate of the LPA gene are under development, including small interfering RNA (siRNA) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) ^[4]. This strain was generated by mating B6-hLPA(CKI) mice (catalog number: C001521) with Alb-Cre mice (liver-specific Cre-expressing mice), resulting in a mouse model with liver-specific overexpression of the human LPA gene. B6-hLPA(CKI)/Alb-cre mice can be used to study the relationship between the LPA gene and hyperlipidemia and related cardiovascular diseases.

Lipoprotein A (LPA) is a type of particle similar to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) that is considered one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, stroke, etc ^[1]. LP(a) is similar in size and lipid content to LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and also contains the lipoprotein ApoB-100. However, unlike LDL, LP(a) additionally contains a variable-length lipoprotein called Apo(a), which covalently binds to ApoB-100 through a single disulfide bond. LP(a) plays an important role in systemic lipid transport, guiding inflammatory cells into blood vessel walls and leading to smooth muscle cell proliferation. Furthermore, it is involved in wound healing and tissue repair, interacting with the components of blood vessel walls and the extracellular matrix ^[2]. However, LP(a) can also cause arterial narrowing by adhering to the arterial wall, accelerating the formation of blood clots, and thereby triggering a series of pathological changes related to coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, thrombus formation, and stroke ^[3]. The plasma concentration of LP(a) is closely related to genetic factors and is primarily regulated by the LPA gene. Therefore, the LPA gene is an important potential target for cardiovascular disease treatment. The LPA gene encodes a serine protease that inhibits the activity of tissue-type plasminogen activator I. Fragments of this protein, generated through protein hydrolysis, can adhere to atherosclerotic lesions in arteries, promoting blood clot formation. The LPA gene is expressed in both humans and non-human primates but is not expressed in mice. Constructing mouse models expressing the human LPA gene is of significant importance for developing lipid-lowering drugs, which can drive the development of novel therapies for cardiovascular diseases. Currently, various novel therapies targeting the transcription rate of the LPA gene are under development, including small interfering RNA (siRNA) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) ^[4]. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) is a serine protease primarily produced in the liver but expressed in other tissues, including the intestine, heart, and neurons. The N-terminal domain of the PCSK9 protein is responsible for protein localization and stability, while the C-terminal domain is responsible for protein enzymatic activity ^[5]. The Low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) is a receptor that is responsible for clearing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from the blood. PCSK9 cleaves the intracellular domain of LDLR on the cell surface, causing it to detach from the cell membrane and be transported to the lysosome for degradation, promoting LDLR degradation, and increasing plasma LDL-C. Overexpression or gain-of-function mutations of the PCSK9 gene can lead to LDL-C accumulation by reducing LDLR levels. This can cause hypercholesterolemia, which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease ^[6]. PCSK9 has emerged as a key target for the development of lipid-lowering drugs. Several PCSK9-targeted antibodies or small nucleic acid drugs have been approved for marketing worldwide, including evolocumab from Amgen, alirocumab from Sanofi and Regeneron, and inclisiran from Novartis. These drugs primarily work by inhibiting PCSK9 activity or preventing PCSK9 protein from binding to LDLR, lowering LDL-C levels in the blood to treat hypercholesterolemia ^[7-8]. In addition, PCSK9 can promote tumor growth and development by regulating cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. It can also regulate the expression of inflammatory factors that contribute to inflammation. Therefore, targeting the expression of PCSK9 has been investigated in tumor immunotherapy and autoimmune disease therapy ^[9-10]. The B6-hLPA (CKI)/Alb-cre/hPCSK9 mouse model is generated by crossing B6-hLPA (CKI) mice (Catalog No.: C001521, a mouse strain with conditional expression of the human LPA gene), Alb-Cre mice (liver-specific Cre-expressing mice), and B6-hPCSK9 mice (Catalog No.: C001617). This model harbors two cardiovascular disease risk factors, namely Lp (a) (lipoprotein (a)) and PCSK9, making it suitable for research on hyperlipidemia, stroke, coronary heart disease, and other atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD).