Scientists from Germany have succeeded in eliminating the disease of peripheral arteries
Blood vessel occlusion includes compensatory mechanism: the organism starts formation of new vessels avoiding the old ones. This process can be accelerated by suppression the work of one of microregulatory RNAs, which disallows cell division.
The study of newly discovered methods of regulation connected with the activity of small RNA molecules gradually starts to pay off. Researches for the University of Feiburg (Germany) claim that they have managed in eliminating the disease of peripheral arteries by suppression the work of one of microregulatory RNAs in animal tissues.
MicroRNAs do not encode any proteins, but they have a significant influence on protein synthesis in other RNAs – messenger RNAs; they are bound to messenger RNAs and inhibit the work of protein-synthesizing machine. According to approximate estimation, human genome has over 1,000 such regulatory RNAs, which influence the work of altogether about 30% of genes. Some microRNAs have been “caught” in participation in the development of cardiovascular diseases, from atherosclerosis to cardiac insufficiency.
Under disease of peripheral arteries we understand the whole spectrum of cardiovascular disorders, which lead to “damage” of the vessels, connected with heart or brain; arterial form of the illness may be caused by fat deposits in leg arteries. In this case, the organism launches a compensatory mechanism of new vessel formation avoiding the old ones, which do not function properly.
Scientists have checked which molecular changes occur in the vessels that substitute the previous ones. It has become possible to find a number of microRNAs, which concentration was significantly changed, but microRNA-100 turned out to be the champion among all of them. Its level, being very high in already formed vessels, decreased sharply in expensively dividing cells, which were forming new vessels. Unfortunately, such compensatory mechanism itself not always is able to eliminate the consequences of arterial occlusion and restore full-scale blood supply. However, it does not mean that it cannot be helped. Researches inform that in case of microRNA-100 suppression with the inhibitor called “antagomir” in animals with the disease of peripheral arteries blood flow in joints improved by 30%.
According to the scientists, microRNA-100 itself suppressed the work of mTOR complex protein, which takes part in the process of cell division. mTOR is also associated with other diseases, up to oncological ones, and determining its RNA-regulator allows to hope that some illnesses can be treated with the help of similar therapy. похожей терапии. To tell the truth, neither mTOR nor its regulator microRNA-100 are specific for blood vessels, which does not exclude side effects caused by medicines aimed at suppression of regulatory RNA.