microRNA Helps Control the Development of Blood-vessels
For some time now, scientists knew that tiny snippets of RNA called “microRNA” were found in the body and aided the DNA in creating much needed proteins. But, as scientists researched this microRNA, they found that it was located only in certain places: the cardiovascular system. What this suggested to scientists was that microRNA was directly connected to the cardiovascular system and more importantly, its development.
To study this, scientists took miR-126. The reason they chose this is because miR-126 is only found in endothelial cells. Endothelial cells line the inside of blood vessels and are responsible for so many different things: the development of new blood vessels in embryos, the repair of injured blood vessels, and the creation of blood vessels to support growing tumors. That last part is what is most interesting.
Scientists found when studying mice that when they removed miR-126 from the mice, 40% died almost immediately after birth or even before birth. They found that the remaining that did make it to adulthood were able to live fine as if nothing had happened. But, when scientists simulated a heartattack, those that lacked the miR-126 were unable to survive which suggests that miR-126 is only necessary for development and then when there is severe damage done to the blood vessels.
Another study that they conducted was on aortial cut sections. They wanted to study the branching of blood vessels that occured when there was and was not miR-126 in the tissue. Scientists found that when there was, branching occured regularly. But, when there was no miR-126, branching did not take place nearly as much as when there was miR-126.
What this suggests is a lot of potential therapies for those that have heart problems. By being able to manipulate miR-126 and numerous other microRNAs, scientists might be able to stop certain cancers from coming as well. As I stated earlier in the article, endothelial cells are responsible for creating new blood vessels to tumors. Well, if you get rid of miR-126, endothelial cells which line the inside of those blood vessels won’t exist and the vessel, therefore, won’t be able to supply blood to the tumor. No blood, no tumor.
What do you think, though? Do you think that this is a new, great way of potentially treating cancer or do you think it’ll last for a week and then something new and greater will come along? Leave a comment letting us know!
