Possible Cause of Heart Failure

This article deals with deceivingly small but largely powerful molecules that have recently been linked to heart failure. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are less than 0.2% the length of an average gene have been associated with the expression of genes that lead to defective hearts. In studies done on mice, overexpression of the miRNAs caused enlarged cardiac muscle cells, a characteristic of human heart failure. Although scientists have identified 186 miRNAs, they still have not been able to pinpoint which genes these miRNAs target. Further research on the matter may lead to a possible cure for preventing heart failure. If the miRNAs that code for these genes are erased, then the heart failure also could be prevented.

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2006/1114/4