NHLBI-funded scientists have identified a gene, called MeXis, that helps remove cholesterol from blood vessels, which could aid in preventing heart disease. The research was conducted in mice and the journal Nature Medicine published the findings.
The gene controls the expression of a protein that pumps cholesterol out of cells in the artery wall. It acts within key cells inside clogged arteries to help remove excess cholesterol.
MeXis is an example of a “selfish” gene, one that is presumed to have no function because it does not make a protein product. But this presumption has been upended by recent studies suggesting that these genes perform important biological functions through the production of a special class of molecules called long non-coding RNAs, or lncRNAs.
The researchers are interested in finding out if MeXis could be targeted for therapy of cardiovascular disease.