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Updated: Jan 15, 2026
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Coronary Progenitor Cells and Soluble Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Prognosis after Coronary Angioplasty
Published on: January 28, 2020
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Circulating Cardiovascular Proteomic Associations With Genetics and Disease
Kathryn A McGurk1,2,3, Lara Curran1,2,4, Arunashis Sau1,5
1National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, United Kingdom (K.A.M., L.C., A.S., F.S.N., B.H., J.S.W.).
Circulation. Genomic and Precision Medicine
|October 7, 2025
Summary
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) shows a protective effect against hypertension and type-2 diabetes. This finding suggests potential therapeutic benefits of ACE2 for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Area of Science:
- Proteomics and Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers
- Systems Biology and Disease Mechanisms
Background:
- Circulating proteome analysis offers insights into disease biomarkers and severity.
- Understanding protein-disease relationships is crucial for identifying therapeutic targets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interplay between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and protein measures.
- To explore potential causal links mediated by circulating proteins in CVD development.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 9 plasma proteins (e.g., ACE2, BNP, NT-proBNP) in over 45,000 UK Biobank participants.
- Utilized phenome-wide and genome-wide association studies (GWAS).
- Employed two-sample Mendelian randomization for causal inference.
Main Results:
- Circulating protein levels varied significantly with demographic and lifestyle factors (age, sex, alcohol, smoking, medication).
- GWAS identified genetic variants (near GCKR, APOE, SERPINA1) influencing protein levels (BAG3, CDKN1A, NOTCH1).
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) demonstrated a protective role against hypertension and type-2 diabetes.
Conclusions:
- ACE2 is causally protective for hypertension and diabetes, suggesting therapeutic potential.
- This study enhances understanding of circulating protein pathways in cardiovascular disease dynamics.
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