Protein acetylation in atherosclerosis: beyond inflammation to core cellular processes and therapeutic potential

Description

Zhaoyang Dong and colleagues review protein acetylation, a reversible chemical tagging of proteins, as a conductor of atherosclerosis, the artery-clogging disease behind most cardiovascular deaths. Acetyl groups are added by acetyltransferases and stripped by deacetylases, including the sirtuin family; the balance steers gene activity and protein behavior inside plaque cells.

The 2026 review walks through the cast cell by cell: macrophages that gorge on lipids and inflame, endothelial cells lining the vessel, and smooth muscle cells that migrate and multiply. Across them, acetylation touches inflammation, fat and sugar metabolism, oxidative stress, energy use, cell death, and movement. That breadth makes the enzymes attractive drug targets, and selective HDAC inhibitors plus sirtuin activators lead the candidate list. The authors balance enthusiasm with the field's contradictions, off-target effects, and thin human evidence, arguing precision will come from matching the right enzyme to the right plaque stage and cell type.

Catalog record

Source: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/PMC13458365