The research work of Patrícia Pitrez, just published in Nature Communications, has received a lot of attention by the national media!
This study was focused on the vulnerability of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome – smooth muscle cells (HGPS-SMCs) to shear stress. A microfluidic chip with HGPS-SMCs differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells allowed the identification of metalloprotease 13 (MMP13) as a key mediator in the detachment of SMCs. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the regulation of MMP13 expression decreases the vulnerability of SMC in the vessels, meaning that this strategy could be potentially useful to reduce the burden of the disease in Progeria individuals.
