Gene module identified in atherosclerosis

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Medical scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden say they have discovered a gene module underlying the development of atherosclerosis.

The researchers say they measured the total gene activity in organs relevant for coronary artery disease and identified a module of genes that's important for the recruitment of white blood cells into the atherosclerotic plaque.

The scientists said their findings suggest targeting the migration of white blood cells in the development of atherosclerosis may help reduce the risk for adverse clinical effects, such as ischemia and myocardial infarction, or heart attack.

"It has been an exciting research project, which has gone on for nearly seven years, involving many different disciplines from thoracic surgeons to mathematicians", team leader Dr. Johan Bjorkegren said. "I believe that this kind of clinical study will follow in the aftermath of the large number of ongoing genome-wide association studies."

Rather than individual genes or individual DNA variants, the discovery encompasses a group of 128 functionally related genes in a "module" or "network," which the researchers said explains the mutual interactions.

In collaboration with Dr. Eric Schadt's team at Washington University in Seattle, the researchers said they were also able to show the gene module they discovered is enriched for inherited risk of developing a heart attack.

The study appeared ahead of print in the Dec. 3 online edition of the journal PLoS Genetics.