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Updated: Mar 30, 2026

Analysis of Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Vascular Calcification Using In Vitro and In Vivo Models
Published on: January 27, 2023
Mechanisms of ectopic calcification: implications for diabetic vasculopathy
Angelo Avogaro1, Gian Paolo Fadini1
11 Division of Metabolic Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy ; 2 Laboratory of Experimental Diabetology, Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy.
Abstract:
Vascular calcification (VC) is the deposition of calcium/phosphate in the vasculature, which portends a worse clinical outcome and predicts major adverse cardiovascular events. VC is an active process initiated and regulated via a variety of molecular signalling pathways. There are mainly two types of calcifications: the media VC and the intima VC. All major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) have been linked to the presence/development of VC. Besides the risk factors, a genetic component is also operative to determine arterial calcification. Several events take place before VC is established, including inflammation, trans-differentiation of vascular cells and homing of circulating pro-calcific cells. Diabetes is an important predisposing factor for VC. Compared with non-diabetic subjects, patients with diabetes show increased VC and higher expression of bone-related proteins in the medial layer of the vessels. In this review we will highlight the mechanisms underlying vascular calcification in diabetic patients.
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