Micro-RNA Regulation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Its Significance in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Micro-RNA Regulation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Its Significance in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Nguyen DND;Chilian WM;Zain SM;Daud MF;Pung YF

Canadian Journal Of Physiology And Pharmacology

2021

2021-02-02

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is among the leading causes of death worldwide. Micro-RNAs (miRNAs), regulatory molecules that repress protein expression, have attracted considerable attention in CVD research. The vasculature plays a big role in CVD development and progression and dysregulation of vascular cells underlies the root of many vascular diseases. This review provides a brief introduction of the biogenesis of miRNAs and exosomes, followed by overview of the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) intracellular signaling during phenotypic switching, senescence, calcification and neointimal hyperplasia. Evidence of extracellular signaling of VSMCs and other cells via exosomal and circulating miRNAs was also presented. Lastly, current drawbacks and limitations of miRNA studies in CVD research and potential ways to overcome these disadvantages were discussed in detail. In-depth understanding of VSMC regulation via miRNAs will add substantial knowledge and advance research in diagnosis, disease progression and/or miRNA-derived therapeutic approaches in CVD research.

Cardiovascular Diseases; vascular; micro-RNA

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1205-7541 0008-4212

NEOMED College of Medicine

Department of Integrative Medical Sciences

February 2021 List