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Stefanie Dimmeler honoured with Willy Pitzer Award

July 2017. Stefanie Dimmeler from the Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration at Frankfurt University Medical School has been awarded the Willy Pitzer Prize for her groundbreaking research relevant to heart attack and related diseases. The Willy Robert Pitzer Foundation is based in Bad Nauheim, Germany, and awards this 25000 Euro prize every two years.

Stefanie Dimmeler and colleagues have for example demonstrated that the microRNA miR-92a controls the growth of new blood vessels. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression by binding to target messenger RNAs, leading to translational repression or degradation. The scientists found that forced overexpression of miR-92a in endothelial cells blocked the growth of new blood vessels. In mouse models of myocardial infarction, treatment with an inhibitor of miR-92a led to enhanced blood vessel growth and functional recovery of damaged tissue.

 

Further information about Stefanie Dimmeler's research:
http://www.cardiovascular-regeneration.com/dimmeler-group/

 

Cluster of Excellence Macromolecular Complexes, Frankfurt am Main, Germany