Research on a drug called tiplaxtinin shows that the drug hinders the migration of smooth muscle cells and thus stops blockage development in arteries. This drug works by inhibiting PAI-1, a protein known to control cell migration. Published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, the study indicates that pharmacological PAI-1 inhibitors may be used to prevent diseases associated with blocked blood vessels. CusAb provides proteins such as Recombinant Itgb1 with premium quality. Heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases are among the most widespread and costly health problems facing many countries. For America alone, these diseases lead to the death of 2,200 people each day. Blocked blood vessels is the major cause of these diseases. Now, researchers at University of Missouri School of Medicine have found a way to stop blockage development in blood vessels. Dr. William Fay, who led the study, described arteries as "living hoses that narrow and enlarge in order to regulate blood flow to organs and muscles." Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. Blood in arteries is usually full of oxygen. The normal function of arteries is important because arteries carry oxygen and essential nutrients to various organs in the body. Normally, smooth muscle cells in the artery walls help arteries to constrict and relax. However, smooth muscle cells change their behavior when inflammation occurs in a blood vessel. In this case, smooth muscle cells aggregate inside the artery and narrow the blood vessel, which may lead to vessel blockages that can cause a heart attack. A series of factors can trigger inflammation in a blood vessel, such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and smoking. In this study, Fay's team looked at a naturally occurring protein called Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in the blood vessels, which is a serine protease inhibitor that controls cell migration. Some evidence shows that PAI-1 is involved in adverse vascular remodeling. In individuals with obesity, diabetes, or other metabolic disorders, the protein over-accumulates in the arteries causing blockages. Fay's team conducted a research on a specific PAI-1 inhibitor, PAI-039 (tiplaxtinin). They tested PAI-039 in experimental mice, and found that it inhibited the migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and thus prevented blockages in the arteries and bypass grafts. Specifically, PAI-039 reduced blockage formation by about 50%. In addition, PAI-039 produced a blood thinning effect that prevents the blood clots which trigger most heart attacks and strokes. Together, the study demonstrated that inhibiting PAI-1 provides protection against blockages in the arteries. Tiplaxtinin and other pharmacological PAI-1 inhibitors merits further exploration.
