Aspn siRNA

Aspn siRNA is a small interfering RNA designed to silence the expression of the asporin (ASPN) gene. Asporin is a small leucine-rich proteoglycan (SLRP) that has been identified as being significantly upregulated in the pulmonary arteries and smooth muscle cells of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Research conducted at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA suggests that elevated asporin expression in PAH may serve as a compensatory mechanism to inhibit pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation, potentially by binding to the pro-proliferative mediator TGFβ1 and regulating downstream p-SMAD2/3 signaling. In preclinical rat models of Sugen/Hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension, the intratracheal delivery of Aspn siRNA was shown to aggravate disease progression, as evidenced by increased right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and enhanced vascular remodeling. These findings indicate that while Aspn siRNA is a valuable research tool for investigating PAH pathophysiology, the asporin protein itself, rather than its inhibition, may represent a novel therapeutic target.

Other names

asporin siRNAsiRNA targeting Asporin