Angiogenesis-Regulating microRNAs and Ischemic Stroke.

Angiogenesis-Regulating microRNAs and Ischemic Stroke. Curr Vasc Pharmacol. 2013 May 13; Authors: Yin KJ, Hamblin M, Chen YE Abstract Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Ischemic stroke is the dominant subtype of stroke and results from focal cerebral ischemia due to occlusion of major cerebral arteries. Thus, the restoration or improvement of reduced regional cerebral blood supply in a timely manner is very critical for improving stroke outcomes and post-stroke functional recovery. The recovery from ischemic stroke largely relies on appropriate restoration of blood flow via angiogenesis. Newly formed vessels would allow increased cerebral blood flow, thus increasing the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered to affected brain tissue. Angiogenesis is strictly controlled by many key angiogenic factors in the central nervous system, and these molecules have been well-documented to play an important role in the development of angiogenesis in response to various pathological conditions. Promoting angiogenesis via various approaches that target angiogenic factors appears to be a useful treatment for experimental ischemic stroke. Most recently, microRNAs (miRs) have been identified as negative regulators of gene expression in a post-transcriptional manner. Accumulating studies have demonstrated that miRs are essential determinants of vascular endothelial cell biology/angiogenesis as well as contributors to stroke pathogene...
Source: Current Vascular Pharmacology - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: Curr Vasc Pharmacol Source Type: research