UCLA Researchers Genetically Engineer Tomatoes That Mimic Good Cholesterol

Researchers at UCLA have genetically engineered tomatoes that, when fed to mice, mimic the beneficial qualities of good cholesterol, according to a new study.

In a paper published Tuesday in the Journal of Lipid Research, authors used bacteria to insert genes into the cells of tomato plants, so that they would produce a peptide that mimics the actions of HDL, or "good" cholesterol.

Later generations of those genetically engineered tomatoes were frozen, ground up and then fed to female mice who were themselves bred to be highly susceptible to LDL, or "bad" cholesterol.

Normally, the mice would quickly develop inflammation and atherosclerosis when fed a high-fat diet. However, mice who received the peptide-enhanced tomatoes as part of their diet had significantly lower levels of inflammation and less plaque in their arteries, according to senior author Dr. Alan Fogelman, director of atherosclerosis research at the David Geffen School of Medicine.

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