MiR-92a - a key player in cardiovascular remodeling

Small non-coding, highly conserved microRNAs (miRs) play a crucial role in gene regulation, especially in post-transcriptional gene silencing, and are important for vascular homeostasis as well as during pathophysiological vascular remodeling processes. MiR-92a is known to attenuate endothelial cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. Conversely, down regulation of miR-92a improves these endothelial cell-dependent processes. We recently showed that inhibition of miR-92a also accelerates the re-endothelialization process and thus prevents neointima formation following wire-induced injury of murine femoral arteries. Thus, inhibition of miR-92a may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of vascular diseases.