Brain Disorders & Therapy

The roles of microRNAs in atherosclerosis and stroke

Global Summit on Stroke

August 03-05, 2015 Birmingham, UK

Laurent Metzinger

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: Brain Disord Ther

Abstract:

The gene program is controlled at the post-transcriptional level by the action of small non-coding RNAs known as
microRNAs (miRNAs), short, single-stranded molecules that control mRNA stability or translational repression via base
pairing with regions in the 3’ untranslated region of their target mRNAs. Over the last decade, considerable progress has
been made to elucidate the roles of miRNAs in vascular pathogenesis and develop the use of miRNAs as biomarkers and
as innovative drugs. We have recently shown that miR-126 and miR-223 are implicated in the course of chronic kidney
disease (CKD) and are associated with vascular calcifications and atherosclerosis in murine aorta. As alterations of cerebral
circulation were linked with an increase in ischemic stroke and behavioral trouble in CKD, we have also shown that miR-
17 and miR-126 are deregulated in endothelial cells from cerebral arterioles in murine models of CKD. Finally, in a human
cohort, carotid plaques were divided between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients according to the presence or absence
of stroke. Seven miRNAs were significantly overexpressed in symptomatic versus asymptomatic plaques. Moreover, the
expression of miR-125a was significantly correlated to the level of circulating LDL-cholesterol in symptomatic patients. The
miRNAs are thus potential non-invasive biomarkers to target high-risk groups of embolic stroke among patients with carotid
stenosis. In conclusion, miRNAs could play a role in CKD vascular remodelling and may therefore represent useful targets to
prevent or treat vascular complications of CKD.