Human iPSC-Derived Endothelial Cells Predict Predilection to Atherogenesis by Endothelial Proinflammatory Activation

Introduction: Coronary artery disease (CAD), the direct outcome of atherosclerosis, is the leading cause of death in the United States. Previous studies demonstrated that impaired function of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), a key enzyme for alcohol metabolism, is linked to increased susceptibility to CAD. A single-nucleotide polymorphism that generates E487K mutation (ALDH2*2) reduces enzymatic activity of ALDH2 to less than 40% of the wild type (WT) and is present in ~560 million people. However, it remains unclear how ALDH2 regulates atherosclerotic progression. Hypothesis: Recent studies suggest a critical role of ALDH2 in plaque development and endothelial activation. Therefore, we hypothesize that endothelial cells of ALDH2*2 carriers possess greater susceptibility to proinflammatory activation, whereby endothelial cells recruit immune cells, leading to increased risk of atherogenesis. Methods: To study the patient-specific effects of ALDH2*2 mutation on endothelial proinflammatory activation, we g...