Figure 8.

Proposed Role of the miR-145-TMOD3 Axis in Proliferative Retinopathy

In normal retinal vessels, endothelial TMOD3 binds to the pointed ends of actin filaments, keeping the cytoskeletal structure steady and maintaining blood vessels in quiescence. In proliferative retinopathy, increased expression of endothelial miR-145 represses expression of Tmod3, resulting in changed dynamics and architecture of actin filaments, which may lead to increased EC sprouting and proliferation, which affect pathological angiogenesis. Inhibition of miR-145 suppresses neovessel formation in experimental retinopathy.