Mechanosensitive Endothelial METTL7A Regulates Internal m(7)G mRNA Methylation and Protects Against Atherosclerosis.

METTL7A, a mechanosensitive internal m7G methyltransferase, reduces atherosclerosis by stabilizing anti-inflammatory endothelial transcripts, with a 50% reduction linked to disease progression.

• Why it matters: Understanding how internal m7G modifications influence endothelial function could reveal new therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis, a leading cause of cardiovascular death, especially at disturbed blood flow sites.
• What they did: The study combined epitranscriptomic profiling, human tissue analysis, genetically modified mice, and nanoparticle-based gene delivery to investigate METTL7A’s role in endothelial mechanotransduction and atherogenesis, focusing on its regulation of mRNA stability.
• The result: Restoring METTL7A expression significantly decreased atherosclerotic lesions in mice, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target to maintain vascular health by stabilizing anti-inflammatory transcripts and preventing disease progression.