The Intersection of Genome-Wide Association Studies and High-Throughput Small Interfering Ribonucleic Acid Screens Allows for the Identification of Novel Pathways Relevant to Atherosclerosis

Summary: 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 âhitsâ in large-scale genomic screens. Key Words: activin-like kinase 1, atherosclerosis, endothelial cells, genome-wide association studies, genome-wide RNAi scree