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Supplementary key words ATP binding cassette transporter A1 • high density lipoprotein • macrophage • reverse cholesterol transportClinical and epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relationship between plasma levels of HDL cholesterol or its major apolipoprotein, apoA-I, and cardiovascular disease risk. For example, in the Framingham Heart Study, for every 1% increase in circulating HDL, there was a 2% decrease in the global risk of developing coronary heart disease ( 1 ). The direct infusion of reconstituted apoA-I particles reduces atherosclerotic plaque size in humans ( 2 ), and the overexpression of apoA-I in mice results in elevated HDL levels and the prevention of plaque progression ( 3, 4 ). Therefore, raising HDL cholesterol appears to be an attractive therapeutic strategy for atherosclerosis risk reduction.However, it has been observed that therapies such as CETP inhibitors and niacin ( 5, 6 ) that increase HDL level are not suffi cient to elucidate HDL's atheroprotective properties. Alternatively, the cardioprotective potential of HDL may be primarily related to its function, namely to promote reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) from peripheral tissues and cells to the liver. Thus, the synergistic enhancement of HDL function, as well as quantity, may represent a more effective means to harness HDL biology for therapeutic gain ( 7 ). The ABCA1 has been identifi ed as the key and rate-limiting transporter facilitating the