Study in nature: MicoRNAs hold promise for treating diseases in blood vessels.

A newly discovered mechanism controls whether muscle cells in blood vessels hasten the development of both atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, according to an article published online in the journal Nature. Among the most "plastic" of cells are vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), which form in layers around blood vessels, and by contracting or relaxing, regulate blood pressure. Because VSMC surround blood vessels that are continually becoming clogged by atherosclerosis, they must be ever ready to grow along with the vessel as it attempts, by growing, to remain open to blood flow despite fatty deposits and inflammation. A research team at Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular …