Investigating the role of non-coding RNAs in fibrogenesis

Fibrosis is a biological process of excessive collagen accumulation in extracellular space. A number of cardiovascular diseases are accompanied by fibrosis, such as ischemic heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and hypertension. Although advances have been made in elucidating some mechanisms underlying fibrosis and controlling fibrogenesis, the effective therapies are yet to be discovered.

Non-coding RNAs (e.g., microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs) have recently emerged as important players in controlling fibrogenesis, and the exact role of most of them is yet to be uncovered. We have recently shown that microRNA-31 is up-regulated in atrial cardiomyocytes from patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and is a major contributor to the cellular electrical changes. However, microRNA-31 is also upregulated in human atrial fibroblasts and the aim of this project is to elucidate the consequences of microRNA-31 up-regulation on fibrogenesis in human atria in AF.