A method including advancing a delivery device through a lumen of a blood vessel to a particular region in the blood vessel; and introducing a synthetic apolipoprotein A-1 (Apo A-I) mimetic peptide into a wall of the blood vessel at the particular region, wherein the peptide has a property that renders the peptide effective in reverse cholesterol transport. A composition including a synthetic apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I) mimetic peptide, or combination of an Apo A-I synthetic peptide and an Acyl CoA cholesterol: acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor in a form suitable for delivery into a blood vessel, the peptide including an amino acid sequence in an order reverse to an order of an endogenous Apo A-I related peptide. A composition including an apolipoprotein A-1 (Apo A-I) synthetic peptide in a form suitable for delivery into a blood vessel, the peptide including an amino acid backbone that has less amino acid residues relative to endogenous Apo A-I and a chimera of helix 1 and helix 9 of Apo A-I.