Plaque Evaluation by Ultrasound and Transcriptomics Reveals BCLAF1 as a Regulator of Smooth Muscle Cell Lipid Transdifferentiation in Atherosclerosis

CONCLUSIONS: Plaque echogenicity correlated with enrichment of distinct molecular pathways and identified BCLAF1, previously not described in atherosclerosis, as the most significant gene. Functionally, BCLAF1 seems necessary for survival and transdifferentiation of SMCs into a macrophage-like phenotype. The role of BCLAF1 in plaque vulnerability should be further evaluated.PMID:35321563 | DOI:10.1161/ATVBAHA.121.317018

Source: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology - March 24, 2022 Category: Cardiology Authors: Urszula Rykaczewska Quanyi Zhao Peter Saliba-Gustafsson Mariette Lengquist Malin Kronqvist Otto Bergman Zhiqiang Huang Kent Lund Katarina Waden Vila Z Pons Kenneth Caidahl Josefin Skogsberg Vladana Vukojevic Jan H N Lindeman Joy Roy G öran K Hansson Ecka Source Type: research