Ayat Bashir

• MBBS
• The mechanism behind the cardioprotective effect of metformin. Study on enhancing paracrine function of CD34+ cells.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a significant diabetes complication. My project aimed to study the cardio-protective effect of metformin, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. Levels of microRNA-126 (a molecule implicated in diabetes) were measured in cord blood stem cell supernatants treated with Metformin. Angiogenesis in human umbilical cord endothelial cells was also studied. Metformin was shown to have a functional benefit in terms of CVD, reducing microRNA-126 levels and improving angiogenesis. This project can thus serve as a platform to study the potential benefit of metformin as a more widespread CVD treatment therapy in the general population.

Funding source: Newcastle University