Researchers from the University of California in Los Angeles have successfully pinpointed a gene that plays an important role in unclogging arteries of cholesterol, thereby preventing the progression of heart disease.

Recently published in the journal Nature Medicine, the study performed on mice found that the particular gene called MeXis commands the expression of a protein that is responsible for removing cholesterol from arteries in the heart.

Medical Xpress says that, previously, the gene MeXis was found to be an unnotable gene that does not produce any protein by-product. However, recent studies have shown that the once insignificant gene is a key player in the implementation of fundamental biological functions. Specifically, the gene was found responsible for manufacturing a distinct type of non-coding RNAs -- the IncRNAs.

The investigation of the gene proved to be a fruitful undertaking as scientists found that the presence of the gene directly impacts the amount of arterial blockages in mice -- with one mice model lacking in the MeXis gene showing increase in blockages. While in contrast, a mice model that exhibited high levels of the gene showed less arterial blockages.

"What this study tells us is that lncRNAs are important for the inner workings of cells involved in the development of heart disease," Dr. Peter Tontonoz, primary proponent of the research, told Medical Xpress.

Tontonoz also noted that many other genes like MeXis, which were initially thought to be useless, could potentially play big factors in biological processes in the body. And, this particular study would be a model for that scenario.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 90 million Americans are living with cardiovascular diseases as of 2017 with Coronary Heart Disease as the leading cause of death in people suffering from the complications.