Soutenance de thèse Damien GARÇON

PCSK9 (ProProtein Convertase Subtilisin Kexin Type 9) is the 3rd gene responsible for familial hypercholesterolemia. Indeed, PCSK9 is a natural inhibitor of the LDL receptor. Patients with PCSK9 gain function mutations are at very high risk for cardiovascular disease. In addition to its impact on cholesterol metabolism, PCSK9 plays a role in another cardiovascular risk factor: postprandial lipemia. This phenomenon, characterized by a rise in plasma triglycerides after a meal, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in certain pathologies, particularly in patients with type 2 diabetes. It has been shown that mouse models deficient in PCSK9 have a reduction in their postprandial lipemia. During my thesis, we showed by using deficient mouse models that inhibition of PCSK9 by anti-PCSK9 antibodies and the development of an original model of intestinal PCSK9 deficiency that the circulating form of PCSK9 is crucial in the phenomenon of postprandial lipemia. Beyond lipid metabolism, PCSK9 has been shown to play a role in inflammatory responses, particularly during septic shock. In my thesis, we observed the impact of PCSK9 deficiency and inhibition on the food allergy development. We showed that the absence of PCSK9 protects against the onset of allergy symptoms. My thesis has therefore highlighted the role of PCSK9 beyond cholesterol metabolism and at the intestinal level.