Long non-coding RNA CARDINAL regulates vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype alteration

Transcription factors (TFs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play pivotal roles in the gene regulatory network underlying various biological processes, including the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. Despite the established role of MYOCD as a master TF in VSMC biology, the MYOCD-mediated lncRNA-protein regulatory network in VSMC phenotype alteration remains elusive.

In this study, we conducted an unbiased screening to identify key lncRNA regulators in this regulatory network using expression correlation analysis in diseased human arteries. As a result, we identified CARDINAL, a VSMC-enriched lncRNA located upstream of MYOCD, exhibiting a strong positive expression correlation with MYOCD. Decreased CARDINAL expression was observed in atherosclerosis in both human and mouse models.