Examining the Signaling Pathways Connecting Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EndMT) and Smooth Muscle Cells in Vascular Calcification.

摘要

Our data suggest that TGF-p/smad signaling and BMP2 play important roles in smooth muscle cell calcification due to the significant upregulation and expression of those markers. As reported in the literature, these same markers are significant in EndMT. In order to gain further insight on the role of EndMT mechanisms causing vascular calcification, we will perform a co-culture of smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells to examine the crosstalk between these cell types in vascular calcification, as well as the impact of EndMT on smooth muscle cell calcification.