Targeting the phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells to tackle atherosclerosis

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play fundamental roles in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. A crucial step in VSMC biology is the switch from contractile (differentiated, quiescent, non-migratory) to synthetic (dedifferentiated, proliferative, migratory) phenotypes (Figure 1). The exact mechanisms underlying VSMC phenotypic switch are not fully known and various pieces of information have been recently added to this puzzle (1-5). For instance, in this issue of Atherosclerosis, Halvorsen ’s team demonstrates that Neil3, known to participate in DNA repair, can mediate VSMC phenotypic switch via non-canonical mechanisms (6).

Source: Atherosclerosis - March 28, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Urna Kansakar, Stanislovas S. Jankauskas, Jessica Gambardella, Gaetano Santulli Tags: Editorial Source Type: research