The vaccine called AT04A induces antibodies against a target protein that is produced by the body, researchers said.
The researchers injected AT04A under the skin in mice that were fed fatty, Western-style food in order to induce high cholesterol and the development of atherosclerosis.
Th study, published in the European Heart Journal, found that the vaccine reduced the total amount of cholesterol by 53 per cent.
It also shrank atherosclerotic damage to blood vessels by 64 per cent, and reduced biological markers of blood vessel inflammation by 21-28 per cent, compared to unvaccinated mice.
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The reduction in total cholesterol levels was significantly correlated with induced antibody concentration, proving that induced antibodies caused the reduction in cholesterol and also are ultimately responsible for the reduction of atherosclerosis development, researchers said.
A phase I trial in patients has started to see if the findings translate to humans.
"If these findings translate successfully into humans, this could mean that, as the induced antibodies persist for months after a vaccination, we could develop a long-lasting therapy that, after the first vaccination, just needs an annual booster," said Staffler.
"This would result in an effective and more convenient treatment for patients, as well as higher patient compliance," he said.
People with high levels of LDL cholesterol, either due to their genetic inheritance, or to poor diet and lifestyles, are at much greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease prematurely, researchers said.
These diseases of the heart and blood vessels, caused by atherosclerosis, have overtaken infections as the main cause of illness and death throughout the world, they said.
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