The formation of excess fibrous tissue in the heart, which underlies several heart diseases, could be prevented by inhibiting specific proteins that bind to RNA while its code is being translated.
The formation of excess fibrous tissue in the heart, which underlies several heart diseases, could be prevented by inhibiting specific proteins that bind to RNA while its code is being translated.
Using cutting-edge technologies, researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, have developed the first genome-wide dataset on protein translation during fibroblast activation, revealing a network of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that play a key role in the formation of disease-causing fibrous tissue in the heart. Their findings, published in the journal Circulation, could help in the search for treatments for this condition.
Cardiac fibrosis, a condition characterised by scarring in the heart, is caused by the activation of fibre-producing cells called fibroblasts – which form one of the largest groups of cells in the heart – and underlies many heart diseases, including atrial fibrillation, dilated cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. This involves the transformation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, which leads to thickening and stiffening of the heart wall, making it less contractile and thus less able to pump blood around the body.
Read more at: Duke-NUS Medical School
High-resolution fluorescence imaging of activated fibroblasts with immunostaining of nuclei (DAPI, blue), ACTA2 (purple) and F-actin (phalloidin, cyan) showing stress fibre formation. (Photo Credit: Wang Mao, Duke-NUS Medical School)
