CXCL12: A New Player in Coronary Disease Identified through Human Genetics

Farouk, Samira S.; Rader, Daniel J.; Reilly, Muredach P.; Mehta, Nehal N.

doi:10.1016/j.tcm.2011.08.002

« PreviousTrends in Cardiovascular Medicine
Volume 20, Issue 6 , Pages 204-209, August 2010

CXCL12: A New Player in Coronary Disease Identified through Human Genetics

Samira S. Farouk
- Cardiovascular Institute, Institute of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, and Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160, USA
Daniel J. Rader
- Cardiovascular Institute, Institute of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, and Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160, USA
Muredach P. Reilly
- Cardiovascular Institute, Institute of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, and Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-9004, USA
Nehal N. Mehta
- Cardiovascular Institute, Institute of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, and Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-9004, USA
- Address correspondence to: Nehal N. Mehta, MD, MSCE, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 6 Penn Tower, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160, USA. Tel: (+1) 215-662-7988; fax: (+1) 215-573-9004

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of more than 100,000 people have revealed novel loci associated with coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction that present exciting opportunities to discover novel disease pathways. One such recently identified locus is on chromosome 10q11, near the gene for the chemokine CXCL12, which has been implicated in cardiovascular disease in both mouse and human studies. These GWAS demonstrate that CXCL12 may emerge as a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis and thrombosis.