U of Minnesota researchers find master gene behind blood vessel development

February 05, 2009

In a first of its kind discovery, University of Minnesota researchers have identified the "master gene" behind blood vessel development. Better understanding of how this gene operates in the early stages of development may help researchers find better treatments for heart disease and cancer.

Using genetically engineered mice, researchers with the University of Minnesota Medical School's Lillehei Heart Institute were able to identify a protein, Nkx2-5, which activates a certain gene, and in turn, determines the fate of a group of cells in a developing embryo.

"If we can understand the mechanism, or how certain stem cells choose a particular path, we can alter it to prevent or treat disease," said Daniel Garry, M.D., Ph.D., lead researcher, executive director of the institute, and chief of the cardiovascular division in the Department of Medicine. "This gene discovery provides the key to unlocking the secret of how blood vessels grow."

Researchers knew that certain precursor cells, or progenitor cells, become the three types of cells that make up the cardiovascular system: smooth muscle, endothelial (blood vessel), and cardiac muscle. What they didn't know, until now, is how those progenitor cells end up as one type or another. Garry likened the team's discovery to finding the recipe of how certain cells become blood vessels.

By understanding how the cells develop, Garry said they will be able to study how they might modify the gene to create a desired response.

"Next we are looking at how we could over-express the gene or knock it down," he said.

For example, in the case of heart disease or heart failure, they may be able to "turn on" the gene to make it create new, healthy blood vessels. Or, in the case of cancer, they could turn off the gene to limit blood supply to a tumor, causing it to shrink.

University of Minnesota

The Human Brain: Prenatal Development and Structure
by Miguel Marín-Padilla (Author)

This book is unique among the current literature in that it systematically documents the prenatal structural development of the human brain. It is based on lifelong study using essentially a single staining procedure, the classic rapid Golgi procedure, which ensures an unusual and desirable uniformity in the observations. The book is amply illustrated with 81 large, high-quality color photomicrographs never previously reproduced. These photomicrographs, obtained at 6, 7, 11, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 weeks of gestation, offer a fascinating insight into the sequential prenatal development of neurons, blood vessels, and glia in the human brain.

Cerebral Blood Flow (Developments in neuroscience)
by Heistad (Author)

Blood vessel ontogeny in upper extremity of man as related to developing muscles (Acta Universitatis Carolinae)
by Olga MraÌzkovaÌ (Author)

Inflammatory Diseases of Blood Vessels
by Gary S. Hoffman (Editor), Cornelia M. Weyand (Editor), Carol A. Langford (Editor), Jorg J. Goronzy (Editor)

In recent years, considerable progress has been made in understanding the vasculitic diseases, largely due to the introduction of effective treatments for diseases that were once uniformly fatal, the conduct of structured clinical studies, and advances in immunology and molecular biology. Despite these achievements, the vasculitic diseases continue to be associated with morbidity and mortality from chronic organ damage, relapses, and the side effects of treatment. Investigations into the mechanisms of vascular inflammation may lead to a better comprehension of the pathogenesis of vasculitic diseases and to treatment that is more effective and less toxic. These areas of promising research, together with current knowledge about the vasculitic diseases, are extensively examined in this new...

Transcatheter Coil Embolization of Visceral Arterial Aneurysms (Cardiology Research and Clinical Developments)
by Shigeo Takebayashi (Author), Izumi Torimoto (Author), Kiyotaka Imoto (Author)

Advances in endovascular therapy have allowed interventional radiologists to contribute to the management of visceral arterial aneurysms for not only elective interventions but also for urgent procedures in patients presenting visceral arterial aneurysm rupture. The authors describe and illustrate both imaging diagnosis and endovascular therapy of visceral arterial aneurysm based on their experiences. Transcatheter coil embolisation can provide an alternative method of treatment for both ruptured and non-ruptured visceral arterial aneurysms excluding dissecting lesion that is treated by stent-graft. The authors performed transcatheter coil embolisation in the treatment of 20 non-ruptured visceral arterial aneurysms and 8 ruptured lesions. They have included in this book their data and the...

The Development of the Vascular System (Issues in Biomedicine)
by R. N. Feinberg (Author), G. K. Sherer (Author), R. Auerbach (Author)

Vascular development is a complex process that involves the formation, migration, proliferation, cytodifferentiation and regression of endothelial cells. The influence of the extracellular matrix on cell differentiation and the mechanical forces of haemodynamics also play a role. This book takes the reader from the precursors of endothelial cells to the definitive pattern of the embryonic vasculature, which serves as a blueprint for the adult vasculature. Early chapters are concerned with how and where the endothelial cells are generated and the mechanism by which the vascular pattern is formed. Further chapters focus on tissue interactions that occur during the formation of the vasculature of specific organs, such as limb bud, kidney, liver, lung, heart and brain. The volume attempts to...

Researchers successfully grow functional blood vessels in lab that simulate those found in human body.: An article from: Transplant News
by Transplant Communications, Inc. (Publisher)

This digital document is an article from Transplant News, published by Transplant Communications, Inc. on May 14, 1999. The length of the article is 420 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Researchers successfully grow functional blood vessels in lab that simulate those found in human body.
Publication: Transplant News (Newsletter)
Date: May 14, 1999
Publisher: Transplant Communications, Inc.
Volume: 9 Issue: 9 Page: NA

Distributed by Thomson...

Angiogenesis factors: tracking down the suspects in blood vessel growth near tumors.(This Week): An article from: Science News
by N. Seppa (Author)

This digital document is an article from Science News, published by Thomson Gale on December 8, 2007. The length of the article is 582 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Angiogenesis factors: tracking down the suspects in blood vessel growth near tumors.(This Week)
Author: N. Seppa
Publication: Science News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 8, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 172 Issue: 23 Page: 357(1)

Distributed by Thomson...

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy: a common cause of stroke: new research may explain why beta-amyloid proteins accumulate in brain blood vessels, causing degeneration.: An article from: Mind, Mood & Memory
by Unavailable (Author)

This digital document is an article from Mind, Mood & Memory, published by Belvoir Media Group, LLC on September 1, 2010. The length of the article is 772 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy: a common cause of stroke: new research may explain why beta-amyloid proteins accumulate in brain blood vessels, causing degeneration.
Author: Unavailable
Publication: Mind, Mood & Memory (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: Belvoir Media Group, LLC
Volume: 6 Issue: 9 Page: 6(1)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage...

Control your blood sugar to keep your mind sharp in older age: too much glucose can damage the brain's blood vessels and cells, leading to declines in ... An article from: Mind, Mood & Memory
by Unavailable (Author)

This digital document is an article from Mind, Mood & Memory, published by Belvoir Media Group, LLC on October 1, 2011. The length of the article is 1405 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Control your blood sugar to keep your mind sharp in older age: too much glucose can damage the brain's blood vessels and cells, leading to declines in memory, thinking, and concentration.
Author: Unavailable
Publication: Mind, Mood & Memory (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2011
Publisher: Belvoir Media Group, LLC
Volume: 7 Issue: 10 Page: 1(2)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage...