Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41147413›Full record

ArticleJournal of the American Heart Association2025

GATA2 Mediates Macrophage Proliferation During Atherosclerosis.

Amena Aktar, Angela M Vrieze, Kiera Telesnicki, Minhyuk Mun, Kasia Wodz, Charles Yin, Paisley Cox-Duvall, David Nagpal, Bryan Heit

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the American Heart Association, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Atherosclerotic Cell Fates: A Single-Cell View of ER Stress.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2026
    Review
  2. Genetic factors contributing to atherosclerosis.Current opinion in cardiology · 2026
    Review
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

9 authors.

Amena AktarDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology The University of Western Ontario London ON Canada.
Angela M VriezeDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology The University of Western Ontario London ON Canada.
Kiera TelesnickiDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology The University of Western Ontario London ON Canada.ORCID 0009-0001-2661-1956
Minhyuk MunDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology The University of Western Ontario London ON Canada.ORCID 0009-0003-7893-5084
Kasia WodzDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology The University of Western Ontario London ON Canada.
Charles YinDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology The University of Western Ontario London ON Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-0322-5240
Paisley Cox-DuvallDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology The University of Western Ontario London ON Canada.
David NagpalDivision of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery The University of Western Ontario London ON Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-0446-2192
Bryan HeitDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology The University of Western Ontario London ON Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-2392-468X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAtherosclerosis is fueled by the buildup of lipid-laden macrophages within the vascular intima. These macrophages are derived from monocytes that are recruited from the circulation into the developing lesion, where they proliferate and differentiate into macrophages, with local proliferation generating most of these macrophages. However, the signals and transcriptional events driving the proliferation of atheroma macrophages remain poorly understood.

methodsTranscriptomic and histological analysis of human plaque spanning a range of disease severity and in vitro models of macrophage function was conducted.

resultsTranscriptomic analyses identified a subpopulation of macrophages that expressed the hematopoietic transcription factor GATA2. These GATA2-expressing macrophages had a transcriptional profile that was intermediary between monocytes and mature macrophages and selectively upregulated genes associated with proliferation and apoptosis. The expression of GATA2 was concomitant with plaque macrophage proliferation at all stages of disease but not macrophage proliferation in other tissues, with >90% of proliferating atheroma macrophages expressing GATA2. GATA2 was upregulated in macrophages following exposure to oxidized low-density lipoprotein, with GATA2 expression being necessary and sufficient for the proliferation of these macrophages. In these cells, GATA2 mediates proliferation by upregulating expression of the protooncogene MYB, while simultaneously decreasing sensitivity to apoptosis induced by the unfolded protein response.

conclusionsTogether, these data identify GATA2 as a transcription factor upregulated by atherogenic stimuli that functions as the primary mediator of macrophage proliferation in atherosclerotic plaque.

Indexed as

AtherosclerosisCell ProliferationGATA2 Transcription FactorMacrophagesPlaque, AtheroscleroticAnimalsApoptosisGene Expression ProfilingHumansLipoproteins, LDLMaleUnfolded Protein ResponseGATA2 protein, humanGATA2 Transcription FactorLipoproteins, LDLoxidized low density lipoproteinapoptosisatherosclerosisGATA2inflammationmacrophageproliferationtranscriptome

Identifiers

PMID41147413
PMCPMC12684594

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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.