MicroRNAs for risk assessment and treatment of venous thromboembolism (MISSION-VTE)

The high incidence of both first and recurrent VTE, as well as the burden related to side-effects of current treatments, emphasize the need for a new therapeutic approach. Currently, there are no existing therapeutic agents that target risk factors for VTE. In TREC, we have recently discovered microRNAs (miRs) that are associated with risk of future VTE. Targeted intervention on these miRs has the potential to effectively prevent VTE without serious side-effects. In this project, we are performing a validation study to confirm the association between these miRs and VTE in an external population (the HUNT study). We are also performing randomized controlled intervention studies in mice to test the efficacy and safety of administration of miRs on the risk of VTE, and test the functional properties of these miRs. The first phase of the project has received a commercialization grant from the Research Council of Norway, and a patent application has been filed. Further verification studies are ongoing to optimize compound, dose, and drug delivery systems, and to reveal antithrombotic mechanism(s) of action.

Principal Investigator: John-Bjarne Hansen

External collaborators: Morten Elde (Norinnova), Kristian Hveem and Therese H. Nøst (HUNT Center for Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, NTNU), Gøril Eide Flaten and Natasa Skalko Basnet (Drug Transport and Delivery, IFA, UiT), Steven P. Grover (University of North-Carolina, Chapel Hill)

Publications:

Morelli et al. High microRNA-145 plasma levels are associated with decreased risk of future incident venous thromboembolism - The HUNT study. Blood 2024. 

Caglayan et al. Optimized workflow to modify microRNA expression in primary human intravascular cells. BMC Immunol. 2023;24:5

Morelli et al. Role of microRNAs in Venous Thromboembolism. Int J Mol Sci. 2020; 21:2602

Research Council of Norway (Commercialization Grant 2020-23)

Innovasjonsfondet, UiT