[Differentiation of smooth muscle cells and vascular calcification]

Vascular calcification is an important problem among diabetic and chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, and contributes to the increased risk of cardiovascular events. Vascular calcification is an active and tightly regulated by a process similar to bone formation. Increasing evidence demonstrates that vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) undergo osteogenic differentiation through the mechanisms involving key osteogenic transcription factors such as Msx2 and Runx2. We reported that Notch signaling induces osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of SMC.