RESUMEN
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide claiming almost 17. 9 million deaths annually. A primary cause is atherosclerosis within the coronary arteries, which restricts blood flow to the heart muscle resulting in myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiac cell death. Despite substantial progress in the management of coronary heart disease (CHD), there is still a significant number of patients developing chronic heart failure post-MI. Recent research has been focused on promoting neovascularisation post-MI with the ultimate goal being to reduce the extent of injury and improve function in the failing myocardium. Cardiac cell transplantation studies in pre-clinical models have shown improvement in cardiac function; nonetheless, poor retention of the cells has indicated a paracrine mechanism for the observed improvement. Cell communication in a paracrine manner is controlled by various mechanisms, including extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs have emerged as novel regulators of intercellular communication, by transferring molecules able to influence molecular pathways in the recipient cell. Several studies have demonstrated the ability of EVs to stimulate angiogenesis by transferring microRNA (miRNA, miR) molecules to endothelial cells (ECs). In this review, we describe the process of neovascularisation and current developments in modulating neovascularisation in the heart using miRNAs and EV-bound miRNAs. Furthermore, we critically evaluate methods used in cell culture, EV isolation and administration.
RESUMEN
In recent years, it has been revealed that majority of the genome is transcribed in a cell- and context-specific manner into a vast array of RNA transcripts that do not encode proteins. Increasing evidence suggests that non-coding RNAs, especially long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are essential regulators of gene expression and other cellular processes, including in the cardiovascular context. In this review, we discuss lncRNAs and their function during endothelial and vascular smooth cell differentiation, function and homeostasis as well as their role in vessel wall injury response and vascular disease pathophysiology. Although our understanding of lncRNAs is still emerging, these examples reveal important insights on how lncRNAs may ultimately be used in clinic as therapeutic targets for cardiovascular disease.
