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Transcription factor and kinase-mediated signaling in atherosclerosis and vascular injury

Neeta Adhikari1, Nathan Charles, Ute Lehmann

  • 1Cardiovascular Division, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 508, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.

Current Atherosclerosis Reports
|April 28, 2006
PubMed

Insights

This review details key molecular signaling pathways, including transcription factors and kinases, that regulate atherosclerosis and vascular injury. Understanding these interconnected pathways is crucial for developing new therapeutic strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cardiovascular Research
  • Cell Signaling

Background:

  • Atherosclerosis and vascular remodeling involve complex molecular signaling.
  • Canonical pathways are well-described, but their interplay is increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review transcription factors and kinases in vascular injury and atherosclerosis.
  • To highlight the interplay between these signaling molecules.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of molecular signaling pathways.
  • Focus on specific transcription factors and kinases.

Main Results:

  • Identified key regulators: nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), early growth response factor-1 (Egr-1), activator protein-1 (AP-1), hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha), homeobox, and T cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (Tcf-Lef).
  • Summarized roles of kinases: janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT), protein kinase C (PKC), p38, Rho, ERK5, JNK, p44/p42, and phosphoinositide 3 (PI3) kinase/AKT.
  • Emphasized the interconnectedness of these pathways in disease progression.

Conclusions:

  • Current understanding shifts towards the interplay of signaling pathways in atherosclerosis.
  • These identified factors and kinases are critical targets for future research and therapeutic interventions.

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