LIPA, a risk locus for coronary artery disease: decoding the variant-to-function relationship
European Heart Journal
Genetic studies have long linked LIPA to coronary artery disease, but its clinical relevance was unclear. This study shows that CAD risk variants increase LIPA expression specifically in monocytes/macrophages, driving larger, more inflammatory atherosclerotic plaques.
Using human genomics and atherosclerosis-prone mouse models, the authors demonstrate a direct causal mechanism – challenging assumptions that boosting lysosomal lipid metabolism is protective!
A must-read for clinicians interested in translating genetics into smarter cardiovascular therapies.
