Molecular basis for the development of intracranial aneurysm

Abstract

Saccular intracranial aneurysm (sIA) is the leading cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage, one of the most catastrophic forms of stroke. Given a high mortality rate and severe disability after subarachnoid hemorrhage, it is mandatory to develop a novel therapeutic modality that prevents sIA progression and rupture. The multifactorial nature of this disease hampers our comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology of sIA. Recent advances in genetics, gene-expression profiling and molecular biological techniques have provided us with a wide variety of evidence supporting the notion that sIA is closely associated with inflammation, pathological vascular remodeling and apoptosis. Molecular mechanisms of sIA rupture remain to be elucidated and should be continuously discussed as a future issue. This would help in selecting patients with sIA that is prone to rupture, and in preventing sIA from rupture less invasively.

Keywords::

• animal model
• apoptosis
• gene-expression profiling
• genetics
• inflammation
• vascular remodeling

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (number 17390399) from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.