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

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.