Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38287421›Full record

ArticleBMC medical genomics2024

Identification of a hub gene VCL for atherosclerotic plaques and discovery of potential therapeutic targets by molecular docking.

Chong Wu, Wei Li, Panfeng Li, Xiaoyang Niu

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical genomics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 39% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Screening and identification of protein 29 ofFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Chong Wu *The Fifth Clinical Medical College of Henan University of Chinese Medicine (Zhengzhou People's Hospital), Zhengzhou, 450046, China. 1462747004@qq.com.
Wei Li *Clinical Laboratory, Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital Affiliated, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266034, China.
Panfeng LiDepartment of Vascular Surgery, Heart Center of Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital, Central China Fuwai Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China. lpf8700@163.com.
Xiaoyang NiuDepartment of Vascular Surgery, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University · CNQingdao Women and Children's Hospital · CNZhengzhou Central Hospital · CNZhengzhou People's Hospital · CN

Funding

Henan Medical Science and Technology Research Program LHGJ20200094
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAtherosclerosis (AS) is a pathology factor for cardiovascular diseases and instability of atherosclerotic plaques contributes to acute coronary events. This study identified a hub gene VCL for atherosclerotic plaques and discovered its potential therapeutic targets for atherosclerotic plaques.

methodsDifferential expressed genes (DEGs) were screened between unstable and stable plaques from GSE120521 dataset and then used for construction of a protein-protein interactions (PPI) network. Through topological analysis, hub genes were identified within this PPI network, followed by construction of a diagnostic model. GSE41571 dataset was utilized to validate the diagnostic model. A key hub gene was identified and its association with immune characteristics and pathways were further investigated. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation were employed to discover potential therapeutic targets.

resultsAccording to the PPI network, 3 tightly connected protein clusters were found. Topological analysis identified the top 5 hub genes, Vinculin (VCL), Dystrophin (DMD), Actin alpha 2 (ACTA2), Filamin A (FLNA), and transgelin (TAGLN). Among these hub genes, VCL had the highest diagnostic value. VCL was selected for further analysis and we found that VCL was negatively correlated with immune score and AS-related inflammatory pathways. Next, we identified 408 genes that were highly correlated with VCL and determined potential drug candidates. The results from molecular docking and MD simulation showed compound DB07117 combined with VCL protein stably, the binding energy is -7.7 kcal/mol, indicating that compound DB07117 was a potential inhibitor of VCL protein.

conclusionThis study identified VCL as a key gene for atherosclerotic plaques and provides a potential therapeutic target of VCL for the treatment of atherosclerotic plaques.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesPlaque, AtheroscleroticHumansMolecular Docking SimulationProtein Interaction MapsVinculinVCL protein, humanVinculinAtherosclerosisHub geneMolecular dockingPlaqueTherapeutic targetVCL

Identifiers

PMID38287421
PMCPMC10826019
OpenAlexW4391303347

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.