China News Service, Shanghai, February 28 (Sun Guogen, Chen Jing) The reporter learned on the 28th that after 6 years, Chinese medical experts have discovered the genes that form atherosclerosis and play a "main culprit" role in vascular inflammation.
Its related research also revealed a new mechanism of statins against atherosclerosis. BACH1 may become a new target for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and BACH1 inhibitors are expected to provide a new direction for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.
The research, which was jointly published by the research team of Professor Meng Dan from the School of Basic Medicine of Fudan University, and the clinical team of Professor Yu Bo from Pudong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, has just been published in the international academic journal "Circulation Research".
This achievement provides a new target for the treatment of cardiovascular problems such as atherosclerosis.
It is reported that "atherosclerosis" refers to the plaque formed by the accumulation of blood lipids (mainly cholesterol) and calcium deposits in the inner wall of the arteries, which leads to thickening or hardening of the blood vessel wall over time, and is the main cause of heart disease and stroke. one.
Atherosclerosis is the main cause of cardiovascular disease, which can lead to myocardial infarction, stroke and other disabling and fatal consequences.
Vascular endothelial cell dysfunction and vascular inflammation are the primary links in the occurrence of atherosclerosis.
According to Meng Dan, although genome-wide association studies have found multiple genetic polymorphisms related to the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease, it provides a new basis for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of susceptible populations and patients with coronary heart disease.
However, the mechanism by which these polymorphisms affect the occurrence of atherosclerosis has not been elucidated.
Meng Dan and the Yubo team worked together to carry out research.
They found that the BACH1 gene is the main culprit, and it is highly expressed in human carotid atherosclerotic plaques and in mouse aortic atherosclerotic plaques.
The study confirmed that BACH1 gene can be used as a potential new target for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
Yu Bo said that at present, statins are the first-line drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and they belong to a class of oral lipid-lowering drugs widely used in clinical practice, which can treat atherosclerosis.
Their study also found that several statins used for blood lipids can inhibit the expression of BACH1 and inflammatory factors, thereby inhibiting the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis.
It is reported that the relevant research projects have been supported by the key projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan of the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, the Shanghai Excellent Academic Leader Project, and the discipline construction project of the Shanghai Pudong New Area Health and Health Commission.
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