Natural products and their impact on miRNAs in activated vascular smooth muscle cells

Supervisor: Verena M. Dirsch, Department of Pharmacognosy

Student: Christoph Grojer

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration contribute to cardiovascular diseases. Thus, compounds that combat VSMC proliferation and/or migration are of pharmacological interest. Recently so-called microRNAs were discovered to modulate cellular events and the first miRNAs that regulate VSMC function have been identified. This project aims to examine the influence of selected natural products on miRNAs that modulate VSMC function, i.e. mainly proliferation and/or migration.
The project offers usage of state-of-the art techniques in natural products pharmacology and cell/molecular biology, including isolation and cultivation of primary vascular smooth muscle cells, RNA extraction, qPCR, siRNA-based approaches, western blotting, etc.