Regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell calcification by syndecan-4/FGF-2/PKC α signalling and cross-talk with TGFβ

ConclusionThis is the first demonstration that syndecan-4 promotes FGF-2 signalling, and in turn, suppresses VSMC mineralization by down-regulating TGF β signalling. Our discoveries that FGF-2 and syndecan-4 expression is increased in mineralizing VSMCs and that PKCα regulates FGF-2 and TGFβ signalling in VSMCs suggests that the syndecan-4/FGF-2/TGFβ signalling axis could represent a new therapeutic target for vascular calcification.
Source: Cardiovascular Research - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research