Investigating the role of long non-coding RNA in the regeneration of blood vessels

Assessing the regulation and function of long non-coding RNA linc00961 in vascular endothelial cell function (Miss Rachel Sanders)

Researchers are searching for ways to make the human body regenerate and repair itself after injury or disease. In coronary heart disease and diabetes, blood vessels can become damaged, causing injury to the tissues they nourish. Regenerating blood vessels could help prevent damage to tissues. To be able to regenerate blood vessels, we need to understand how they are made. This project focuses on the inner lining of the vessel wall, called the endothelium. BHF Professor Andrew Baker is examining how the cells of the endothelium are created from stem cells - a process that normally takes place during development in the womb. By studying this in the lab, his team has found that a particular molecule, called a long non-coding RNA, is crucial to the development of the endothelium. Long non-coding RNAs are interesting because, unlike much of our RNA, they don’t code the instructions for making a protein. Instead they are involved in controlling many different processes in the cell. Now Professor Baker’s PhD student will examine exactly how this RNA is involved in transforming human stem cells into endothelium, and see if it is present and active in adult mice. This will provide important insights into how this special type of RNA controls blood vessel formation. It may point towards a new kind of therapy that could regenerate arteries in people who’ve had a heart attack or in those with diabetes.