DPP4-regulated endothelial cell ferroptosis modulates atherosclerosis progression by ferritinophagy.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis (AS), the primary pathophysiological foundation of coronary artery disease (CAD), initiates through endothelial dysfunction that facilitates lipid deposition and plaque formation. Emerging evidence implicates dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP4) in vascular pathologies, yet its mechanistic role in AS-associated endothelial ferroptosis remains undefined. METHODS: Multidisciplinary approaches were employed: 1) Bioinformatic analysis of public databases identified DPP4-ferropt...