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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Modified In Vivo Matrix Gel Plug Assay for Angiogenesis Studies
Published on: June 30, 2023
Role of OPG/RANKL/RANK axis on the vasculature
A E Papadopouli1, C N Klonaris, S E Theocharis
1Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Abstract:
Vascular calcification, a degenerative process considered in the past to be a passive procedure, has now been suggested to be related to ossification. Many proteins responsible for bone formation have been identified on the arterial wall. The OPG/RANKL/RANK axis, responsible for ossification and bone mineralization, seems to play a major role in vasculature and atherosclerosis. Mice lacking OPG gene present osteoporosis and arterial calcification, while overexpression of OPG gene leads to osteopetrosis. In the present review the latest knowledge related to the effects of the OPG/RANKL/RANK axis on vasculature, including atherosclerosis, will be analyzed. The clinical significance of circulating OPG and RANKL levels in vascular diseases will also be referred.
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