"Junk" DNA is dangerous for the heart
The level of non-coding RNAs is associated with the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
ABC Magazine based on Washington University materials: Genome regions once mislabeled 'junk' linked to heart failureA group of scientists from the Medical school of the University of Washington found out that long stretches of DNA, also called "junk", have an impact on the development of cardiovascular diseases.
These DNA regions got their name due to the fact that they do not encode any proteins. However, recent studies have shown that these sites are not useless, and non-coding RNAs synthesized by the junk DNA matrix play an important role in the body.
Jeanne M. Nerbonne and her colleagues studied the role of non-coding RNAs in the formation of heart failure. This condition leads to a deterioration in oxygen delivery and can lead to serious consequences, for example, myocardial infarction.
The authors examined patients suffering from various forms of heart failure, as well as patients before and after connecting to an implantable left ventricular assist device (LVAD). It turned out that the level of production of long non-coding RNAs was different in people with a healthy heart and those who suffered from heart failure. The amount of synthesized RNAs also changed after using LVAD. By assessing the level of production of these RNAs, it was possible to assess the degree of myocardial ischemia.
The researchers suggest that long non-coding RNAs may be involved in regulating the work of a complex of genes that ensure the functioning of the heart.
The authors plan to conduct more extensive studies, significantly increasing the sample. In this study, 2 samples were taken from each of the 16 patients with heart failure – before and after LVAD connection. This approach is unique: previously, similar studies compared samples of heart tissue before and after LVAD implantation taken from different patients.
The researchers hope that measuring the level of long non-coding RNAs can become a diagnostic marker indicating an increased risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.
Article by Kai-Chien Yang et al. Deep RNA Sequencing Reveals Dynamic Regulation of Myocardial Noncoding RNAs in Failing Human Heart and Remodeling With Mechanical Circulatory Support is published in the journal Circulation.
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