Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026

Induction and Micro-CT Imaging of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations in Mouse Model
Published on: September 4, 2017
Dynamic regulation of the cerebral cavernous malformation pathway controls vascular stability and growth
Xiangjian Zheng1, Chong Xu, Annie O Smith
1Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular growth must balance stabilizing signals required to maintain endothelial connections and network integrity with destabilizing signals that enable individual endothelial cells to migrate and proliferate. The cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) signaling pathway utilizes the adaptor protein CCM2 to strengthen endothelial cell junctions and stabilize vessels. Here we identify a CCM2 paralog, CCM2L, that is expressed selectively in endothelial cells during periods of active cardiovascular growth. CCM2L competitively blocks CCM2-mediated stabilizing signals biochemically, in cultured endothelial cells, and in developing mice. Loss of CCM2L reduces endocardial growth factor expression and impairs tumor growth and wound healing. Our studies identify CCM2L as a molecular mechanism by which endothelial cells coordinately regulate vessel stability and growth during cardiovascular development, as well as postnatal vessel growth.
Related Concept Videos
Cerebral Edema ll: Pathophysiology
Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply
Regulation of Stroke Volume
Preload refers to the degree of stretch on the heart before it contracts. It's analogous to the stretching of a rubber band; the more it's stretched, the more forcefully it snaps back. This concept is encapsulated in the Frank-Starling law of the...
Autoregulation of Blood Flow
Chemical Signaling in Autoregulation
Chemical signaling operates at the precapillary sphincter level, inciting either contraction or relaxation.
The Blood-brain Barrier
Cerebral Edema l: Introduction

