The primary treatment for gallstones is surgical removal. With a 1% mortality rate and substantial hospitalization costs, a search for less expensive and safer treatments for gallstone elimination is warranted. It has been shown that gallstones consist primarily of cholesterol and that their formation is a consequence of exceeding the solubility limits of cholesterol in the bile. As a result, it has been proposed that oral treatment with suitable bile acids may act as gallstone dissolving agents, thereby eliminating the need for surgery.The goal of this project is to demonstrate that short chain analogs of head group modified phosphatidylcholines have superior solubilizing properties when compared to other potential cholesterol solubilizing agents and relative to the amount and speed at which they can dissolve preexisting cholesterol crystals.Should Phase I studies be successful, Phase II studies would then concentrate on the ability of modified phosphatidylcholines taken orally to enter into the enterohepatic circulation in animal models. Future testing would consist of preliminary human studies.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
