ALOX5AP

ALOX5AP encodes the arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP), an integral membrane protein also referred to as 5-LOX activating protein. FLAP regulates leukotriene biosynthesis by binding arachidonic acid and facilitating its transfer to 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), enabling the conversion of arachidonic acid to leukotriene A4 (LTA4)—the precursor of pro-inflammatory leukotrienes like LTB4 and cysteinyl leukotrienes.
Dysregulation of FLAP or genetic variants in ALOX5AP are linked to asthma, allergic rhinitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and cardiovascular events (e.g., myocardial infarction, associated with the LTA4H-ALOX5AP locus). FLAP inhibitors (e.g., MK-886, GSK2190915) have been tested in clinical trials for asthma and cardiovascular disease; while some reduced leukotriene production, their clinical utility is being refined via subgroup targeting and combination therapies to enhance efficacy and safety.