Researchers discover wars2 role for the gene in the process of angiogenesis -
In a study conducted by Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS) and the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), researchers have discovered a new gene that controls blood vessel formation. This work presents a potential new therapeutic target for cancer and heart disease, and was published in the journal, Nature Communications , July 8, 2016.
The blood vessels form a network throughout the body to provide the nutrients needed to maintain tissues and organs alive and healthy. The formation of this network is controlled by a process called angiogenesis. Inhibition of angiogenesis is typically targeted in cancer development process that aims to starve tumors of nutrients necessary for their survival. In the heart, increased angiogenesis can help the function of the heart pump.
For the first time, a team led by Professor Stuart Cook at Duke-NUS, discovered a role for the gene, wars2 in the process of angiogenesis. Mr. Mao Wang, a doctoral student at Duke-NUS University, is co-first author of the study along with Dr. Patrick Sips, associate researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Together, they confirmed the importance of wars2 for angiogenesis in rats and zebrafish.
"By using different genetic techniques, we inhibited wars2 function in rats and zebrafish, and the resulting animals showed insufficient blood vessel formation in the heart and elsewhere in the body, "Mr. Wang described.
To confirm the involvement of wars2 in angiogenesis, the researchers increased the wars2 effect and showed that the formation of blood vessels was enhanced. Specifically, they were able to determine that wars2 plays an important role in providing adequate endothelial cells, the building blocks of blood vessels, for angiogenesis.
"Angiogenesis is essential for sustaining life and providing nutrients to all parts of the body," said Professor Cook, Tanoto Foundation professor of cardiovascular medicine at Duke University Medical Center SingHealth-NUS. "Find a way to control angiogenesis not only provides a target for developing anti-cancer therapies, but can also be useful in hungry even the growth of abnormal blood vessels elsewhere in the body, such as diabetic retinopathy. " Prof Cook is also the director of cardiovascular and metabolic research at Duke-NUS Program.
Ultimately, wars2 provides researchers and pharmaceutical companies a new fresh target for developing treatments for diseases characterized by abnormal blood vessel growth that can be more effective and specific or complementary to it which is currently available.
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