Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a common cause of lacunar strokes, vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and vascular dementia. SVD is thought to result in reduced cerebral blood flow, impaired cerebral autoregulation and increased blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying SVD are incompletely understood. Recent studies in monogenic forms of SVD, such as cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), and ‘sporadic’ SVD have shed light on possible disease mechanisms in SVD. Proteomic and biochemical studies in post-mortem monogenic SVD patients, as well as in animal models of monogenic disease have suggested that disease pathways are shared between different types of monogenic disease, often involving the impairment of extracellular matrix (ECM) function. In addition, genetic studies in ‘sporadic’ SVD have also shown that the disease is highly heritable, particularly among young-onset stroke patients, and that common variants in monogenic disease genes may contribute to disease processes in some SVD subtypes. Genetic studies in sporadic lacunar stroke patients have also suggested distinct genetic mechanisms between subtypes of SVD. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have also shed light on other potential disease mechanisms that may be shared with other diseases involving the white matter, or with pathways implicated in monogenic disease. This review brings together recent data from studies in monogenic SVD and genetic studies in ‘sporadic’ SVD. It aims to show how these provide new insights into the pathogenesis of SVD, and highlights the possible convergence of disease mechanisms in monogenic and sporadic SVD.
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April 2017
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An MRI angiogram of the brain vasculature (arteries). Articles in the area of small vessels, dementia and chronic diseases published in Clinical Science throughout 2017 are being gathered together as a collection that can be viewed at http://www.portlandpresspublishing.com/cc/small-vessels.
Review Article|
March 17 2017
New insights into mechanisms of small vessel disease stroke from genetics
Rhea Tan;
1Stroke Research Group, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Box 83, R3 Neurosciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, U.K.
Correspondence: Rhea Tan (email [email protected])
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Matthew Traylor;
Matthew Traylor
2Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, 8th Floor, Tower Wing, Guys Hospital, Great Maze Pond, London SE1 9RT, U.K.
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Loes Rutten-Jacobs;
Loes Rutten-Jacobs
1Stroke Research Group, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Box 83, R3 Neurosciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, U.K.
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Hugh Markus
Hugh Markus
1Stroke Research Group, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Box 83, R3 Neurosciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, U.K.
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
October 31 2016
Revision Received:
January 03 2017
Accepted:
January 06 2017
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
© 2017 The Author(s). published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society
2017
Clin Sci (Lond) (2017) 131 (7): 515–531.
Article history
Received:
October 31 2016
Revision Received:
January 03 2017
Accepted:
January 06 2017
Citation
Rhea Tan, Matthew Traylor, Loes Rutten-Jacobs, Hugh Markus; New insights into mechanisms of small vessel disease stroke from genetics. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 April 2017; 131 (7): 515–531. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20160825
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