Scientists identify UTHealth inhibitor switch to prevent peripheral vascular disease

Scientists identify UTHealth inhibitor switch to prevent peripheral vascular disease -

Millions of people in the US have a circulatory problem of the legs called peripheral vascular disease. It can be painful and may even require surgery in severe cases. This disease can lead to severe skeletal muscle atrophy and, in turn, the amputation of limbs.

At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School, scientists have tested a non-surgical preventive treatment in a mouse model of the disease and has been associated with increased traffic blood. Their proof of concept study appears in the journal cell reports .

Unlike previous studies in which other investigators used individual stimulating factors for developing blood vessels, Vihang narkar, Ph.D., lead author and assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology UTHealth medical school, identified and extinguished a genetic switch that stifles the development of blood vessels.

"We found an inhibitor switch that degrades blood vessels," said narkar, whose laboratory is in the UTHealth Centre for metabolic and degenerative diseases at the Institute of the Brown Foundation for Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of human diseases. "We were able to genetically deactivate to prevent peripheral vascular disease in a preclinical study."

Added narkar, "Our next step will be to test this targeted therapy in models of other conditions that significantly reduce the circulation, such as diabetes and atherosclerosis."

narkar said means individual growth factors to stimulate blood vessel growth often leads to the formation of leaky blood vessels and non-functional. "by turning a genetic switch that acts as a barrier to the growth of blood vessels outside, we were able to initiate and accelerate the natural process of regeneration of blood vessels that involves a battery of growth factors, "he said.

the switch is called peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 beta (PGC1beta) and could be a key to future treatments for additional conditions such as cardiac myopathies, cancer and retinopathy.