LET-Dependent Low Dose and Synergistic Inhibition of Human Angiogenesis by Charged Particles: Validation of miRNAs that Drive Inhibition

Authors

Amber M. Paul, Universities Space Research Association, NASA Ames Research CenterFollow
Yen-Ruh Wuu, Drexel University
Burong Hu, Wenzhou Medical University
Hazeem Okunola, Columbia University
Elizabeth A. Blaber, NASA Ames Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Margareth Cheng-Campbell, NASA Ames Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Afshin Beheshti, NASA Ames Research Center
Peter Grabham, Columbia University

Submitting Campus

Daytona Beach

Department

Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology

Document Type

Article

Publication/Presentation Date

12-18-2020

Abstract/Description

Space radiation inhibits angiogenesis by two mechanisms depending on the linear energy transfer (LET). Using human 3D micro-vessel models, blockage of the early motile stage of angiogenesis was determined to occur after exposure to low LET ions (/AMU), whereas inhibition of the later stages occurs after exposure to high LET ions (>8 KeV/AMU). Strikingly, the combined effect is synergistic, detectible as low as 0.06 Gy making mixed ion space radiation more potent. Candidates for bystander transmission are microRNAs (miRNAs), and analysis on miRNA-seq data from irradiated mice shows that angiogenesis would in theory be downregulated. Further analysis of three previously identified miRNAs showed downregulation of their targets associated with angiogenesis and confirmed their involvement in angiogenesis pathways and increased health risks associated with cardiovascular disease. Finally, synthetic molecules (antagomirs) designed to inhibit the predicted miRNAs were successfully used to reverse the inhibition of angiogenesis.

Publication Title

iScience

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2020.101771

Publisher

Cell Press

Grant or Award Name

NASA grants: NNX11AR03G and NNX14AR22G; Translational Research Institute for Space Health through NASA Cooperative Agreement NNX16AO69A (T-0404)

Additional Information

Dr. Paul was not affiliated with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at the time this paper was published.

Scholarly Commons Citation

Wuu YR, Hu B, Okunola H, Paul AM, Blaber EA, Cheng-Campbell M, Beheshti A, Grabham P. LET-Dependent Low Dose and Synergistic Inhibition of Human Angiogenesis by Charged Particles: Validation of miRNAs that Drive Inhibition. iScience. 2020 Nov 25;23(12):101771. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101771. PMID: 33376971; PMCID: PMC7756138.