Elastase inhibitor AZD9668 treatment prevented progression of experimental abdominal aortic aneurysms

Elastase is a leukocyte protease that plays a critical role in the development and progression of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in humans. We and others have confirmed the role of elastase in murine experimental models of AAA. In this study, we demonstrated that treatment of rats with AZD9668 (elastase inhibitor) significantly reduces the AAA size and has a beneficial effect on neutrophil activation. In this way, the use of elastase inhibitors appears to be an innovative therapeutic approach in the treatment of human AAA.