Vascular RNA biology

Fields of Research

Focus

Our research tackles a central biological puzzle: what is the essential, yet poorly understood, role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in governing cardiovascular health? We pioneer the discovery of these powerful molecules as critical master switches of vascular cell function. They act as precise conductors of our genetic blueprint, controlling key transcriptional programs to maintain vascular physiology and health.

By integrating cutting-edge tools like CRISPR and next-generation sequencing, our nucleic acid-centric lab unveils the secrets of lncRNAs to advance the future of cardiovascular medicine.

Tools

We integrate molecular biology and biochemistry with advanced CRISPR tools, precise oligonucleotide design, cloning and NGS to decode lncRNA roles in genome dynamics, plasticity and disease. This will unravel how lncRNAs guide chromatin-remodeling complexes to specific regions (e.g. via RNA-DNA triplex formation) and how these interactions regulate transcriptional programs critical for vascular physiology and disease.

Model

Our key discoveries have included identifying SMANTIS as a critical regulator of endothelial cell function, LISPR1 as an in cis acting lncRNA that activates S1PR1 expression, the role of HIF1α-AS1 in RNA-DNA triplex formation, endothelial PCAT19 facilitating a rapid switch from quiescence to proliferation, LINC00607 mediating essential angiogenic function, and multiple SWI/SNF-interacting lncRNAs that link SMARCA4 (BRG1) to specific enhancers.

Selected publications: Leisegang et al., Circulation 2017; Leisegang et al., Eur Heart J 2019; Seredinski et al., Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids 2022; Leisegang et al., Nat Commun 2022; Oo et al., Cell Rep. 2022; Weiss et al., Commun Biol 2024; Leisegang et al., Trends in Biochemical Sciences 2025; Oo et al., Nat Commun 2025