Is "fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva" a vascular disease? A groundbreaking pathogenic model

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is the most severe and disabling disorder of ectopic ossification in humans. It is characterized by congenital skeletal abnormalities in association with extraskeletal widespread endochondral osteogenesis. Virtually all patients show the same mutation in the "Activin A type-I/activin-like kinase-2" receptor encoding gene. As a result of this discovery there have been significant advances in the knowledge of the cellular and molecular basis of the disease. Besides allowing a better understanding of ossification process, recent evidence indicates that the primary disturbance lies within basic mechanisms of cell differentiation that are key in several physiological pathways and in the genesis of diseases with a major impact on health. In this article we summarize these breakthroughs, with implications that go beyond the limits of this devastating disease to insinuate a new model of human pathophysiology.