It is now known that the internalization and transcytosis of low density lipoprotein (LDL) in the vessel wall occurs through molecular pathways independent of the LDL receptor. In a study recently published in Nature Communications, investigators cross-referenced results from a genome-wide ribonucleic acid interference screen with targets identified in publicly-available genome-wide association studies datasets to identify activin-like kinase 1 as a novel driver of this process. This approach has relevance to the field of atherosclerosis, and could be used as a model for the prioritization of future "hits" in large-scale genomic screens.
Keywords: activin-like kinase 1; atherosclerosis; endothelial cells; genome-wide RNAi screen; genome-wide association studies.