Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of arteries and number one killer word wild. Endothelial cell (EC) regeneration plays a so far underappreciated role in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Although the mechanisms regulating the regenerative capacity of arterial ECs are currently unclear, the results of our project suggest that miR-21 inhibits EC apoptosis during atherosclerosis by targeting XIAP Associated Factor 1 (Xaf1). In addition, the data indicates that miR-21 mediates the expression of molecular clock genes in macrophages and this was associated with the cell apoptosis during atherosclerosis. Determining the role of miR-21 may reveal novel therapeutic strategies against cardiovascular diseases towards an improvement of endothelial survival and macrophage function.

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