Design and synthesis of a stable oxidized phospholipid mimic with specific binding recognition for macrophage scavenger receptors.

Macrophage scavenger receptors appear to play a major role in the clearance of oxidized phospholipid (OxPL) products. Discrete peptide-phospholipid conjugates with the phosphatidylcholine headgroup have been shown to exhibit binding affinity for these receptors. We report the preparation of a water-soluble, stable peptide-phospholipid conjugate (9) that possesses the necessary physical properties to enable more detailed study of the role(s) of OxPL in metabolic disease.