How a common ALDH2 gene change increases smoking-related blood vessel damage
Official title: Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of smoking-induced endothelial dysfunction associated with ALDH2*2
Funded at Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · NIH-11298320 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will look at how smoking harms the cells that line blood vessels in people with the ALDH2*2 genetic variant to understand why their heart disease risk may be higher.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2026 |
| Project end | January 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $470,606 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL179352-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11298320 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who carry the ALDH2*2 genetic variant—often of East Asian ancestry—especially current or former smokers, are the main focus for this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without the ALDH2*2 variant or those not exposed to tobacco smoke are less likely to directly benefit from the specific findings.
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers may use a small sample of your cells to create blood-vessel cells in the lab and expose them to cigarette smoke to see how they respond. They will compare cells from people with and without the ALDH2*2 gene change, measure oxidative stress, inflammation, nitric oxide production, and the ability of cells to form vessel-like tubes. The team will use gene-level tests such as ATAC-seq to find changes in DNA accessibility that explain the harmful responses and will also confirm findings in mouse models carrying the same gene change.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could point to tailored prevention or treatment strategies to reduce smoking-related heart and blood vessel disease in people with the ALDH2*2 variant.
How similar studies have gone: Previous laboratory studies using iPSC-derived endothelial cells and transgenic mouse models from this group have already shown ALDH2*2 worsens endothelial function with smoke exposure, so this project builds on those preclinical findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Guo, Hongchao — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Guo, Hongchao
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.