Overview
Our goal is to explore the universal laws and mechanisms of organism and apply them individually to different people. In previous literature reading and social research, we obtained the distribution of high cholesterol level-induced hypercholesterolemia and other cardiovascular diseases, the existing treatment programs and the feelings of related patients in China. At the same time, we also learned some limitations of the existing treatment programs and the realistic factors that are unfavorable to patients. Therefore, we take the idea of "old treatment methods & existing problems (in China) → implementation → new schemes and prospects". By analyzing these elements of reality, we adhere to the philosophy of iGEM: Local people solving local problems, using synthetic biology, everywhere around the world.
Existing treating methods and problems with it
High blood cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for heart disease, heart attack and stroke. High cholesterol causes 4.4 million deaths every year, or 7.8% of all deaths.
Meanwhile, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) present a substantial economic burden globally, with estimated costs exceeding $863 billion and projected to rise to $1,044 billion by 2030. This financial strain is mainly due to the growing prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidemia, leading to significant healthcare expenses in developed nations in the coming years.
People have been aware of the seriousness of CVD nowadays we use statin, bile acid sequestrants, ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors and so forth to treat hypercholesterolemia. However, these treatments above have problems such as side effects and high costs. The table below shows the main current treatments for hypercholesterolemia, side effects and associated costs.
These treatments are commonly prescribed for patients with high cholesterol levels, but they often come with a range of adverse reactions and side effects. Additionally, while many of these medications are relatively affordable individually, the cumulative out-of-pocket expenses can escalate if one has to take multiple drugs over an extended period or opt for one of the newer, more expensive cholesterol-lowering medications.
Cholesterol-related cardiovascular diseases in China
Report on nutrition and chronic disease in China (2020) indicates that the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was 8.2% in China (a drastic increase), making it a health problem that cannot be ignored.
When we try to investigate into what accounts for the increase. We find that social and historical are causal links with increasing hypercholesterolemia patients. China is a vast country with abundant resources, where dietary habits vary greatly from place to place. In the northwest region where we are, in addition to the main staple food of flour, heavy oil and heavy seasoning are used in cooking. Many such as the southwest region, the Yangtze River Delta region (heavy oil & sugar). With the development of productivity and social progress, the material living conditions of the Chinese people have gradually become better, people can have more delicious food in a more convenient and economical way. Yet, in the context of dietary cholesterol intake, it may be a curate’s egg. According to a longitudinal study from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, 1991–2011, the mean daily cholesterol intake in Chinese adults increased from 165.8 mg/day in 1991 to 266.3 mg/day in 2011, which may be an interpretation of the increasingly critical hypercholesterolemia problem.
However, material conditions alone are not enough to predispose people to cholesterol-related cardiovascular diseases, awareness of related concepts counts. According to relevant surveys, many patients with hypercholesterolemia often do not pay attention to their own blood cholesterol content and other indicators before symptoms occur. Due to many historical problems, the education level of the Chinese population was generally low for a period of time, and people's knowledge about biology and medicine was lacking. The imbalance between material prosperity and spiritual and cultural needs leads many people, especially middle-aged and elderly people, to eat and consume in retaliation for fear of hunger and poverty in today's social conditions. And the reluctance to get checked out when there is an abnormal medical condition because of the possible cost.
Prospects
As previously mentioned, our products hold promise in addressing the issue of high cholesterol levels in China.
Our specially engineered probiotics have been developed in capsule form, and we are currently experimenting with capsule coatings. For more detailed information, please visit our hardware and partnership webpage.
Due to the absence of animal trials, the true effects of our probiotics within the intestinal tract remain unknown. Even if clinical trials are conducted later, it will take time for the potential side effects of probiotic drugs to become evident. Research indicates that the microorganisms used as probiotics could lead to systemic infections, trigger the immune system, and disrupt metabolism. Hence, we plan to introduce our medication as a prescription drug. This implies that clinicians must prescribe it before it can be purchased at pharmacies, and it must be used under the guidance of a licensed pharmacist. To ensure the smooth implementation of our future plans, we have consulted the Gansu Provincial Medical Products Administration to understand the necessary procedures and regulations for marketing probiotic drugs in China. For further details, please refer to our integrated HP-government page.
Considering the limited medical resources in some remote areas, our intention is to initiate partnerships with hospitals in the northwest and gradually extend our services. Moreover, to minimize potential adverse reactions, we request hospitals to conduct allergen tests on patients before prescribing our probiotics.
Based on our public survey, it is evident that the general populace lacks familiarity with gene editing technology, and there is controversy surrounding genetic modification procedures. For more comprehensive information, please visit our integrated HP-public page. We are apprehensive that patients might be reluctant to use gene-edited probiotics for their conditions. Additionally, high cholesterol levels are predominantly an issue for older adults, with the average onset age being 50 years or older. Given this scenario, our plan is to offer our probiotics as a supplementary treatment. Patients can decide whether to opt for it based on their understanding and trust in gene editing.