Trace lineage studies have provided strong evidence that vascular smooth muscle is a mosaic tissue deriving from multiple independent developmental origins including the neuro-ectoderm-derived neural crest, lateral plate mesoderm, and paraxial mesoderm. However, the differences between vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of different origins remain largely unexplored, especially for human cells. In addition, the relationship between pericytes surrounding the vessel wail and VSMC is not well understood. It is also widely recognized that blood vessels in certain anatomic locations are more likely to develop vascular disease despite the systemic nature of risk factors such as hypercholesterolaemia or diabetes.2 The different origin of VSMCs is thought to be a possible contributor to this site-specific pre-disposition to vascular disease, suggesting that development of site-specific treatment(s) might provide more effective therapeutic options. Finally, donor ageing and culture senescence were shown to impair both the proliferation and contractile function of VSMCs, necessitating the development of novel approaches to restore their regenerative potential.
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