Grant: CIHR-ICRH Travel Awards - General pool

Aortic stenosis is a common heart disease affecting many elderly people, and the only treatment currently available is aortic valve replacement.By measuring plasma proteins and integrating them with genomic data, we can identify protein biomarkers that may contribute to the disease. Using a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach, we analyzed publicly available data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study and a meta-analysis of ten genome-wide association studies of aortic stenosis. We identified three genes, ITPA, ACE, and PCSK9, as potential therapeutic targets for the disease. Additionally, ACE and PCSK9 are already recognized as viable drug targets. Further research is needed to determine whether these drugs may be repurposed to treat aortic stenosis. In conclusion, this study is the largest of its kind to date and provides valuable insights into the genetic causes of the diseas