Gut Microbial Metabolite Imidazole Propionate Impairs Endothelial Cell Function and Promotes the Development of Atherosclerosis
Article, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, May 2025
Our former team member Alba Carreras and our current team member Katharina Beck are co-authors of this article, studying how ImP produced by the gut microbes promotes the development of atherosclerosis.
Imidazole propionate (ImP), a microbially produced metabolite, is linked to type 2 diabetes. Its effects on endothelial cells and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease were previously unknown. Studies in humans and animals show ImP contributes to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis, indicating ImP metabolism could be a therapeutic target for cardiovascular disease.
To the article in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology