Large Vessel Cell Heterogeneity and Plasticity: Focus in Aortic Aneurysms

Area of Science:

• Vascular Biology
• Cellular Plasticity
• Atherosclerosis Research

Background:

• Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs) exhibit significant plasticity in vascular diseases.
• Aortic aneurysms involve SMC phenotypic switching, contributing to aortic wall degradation due to inflammation, growth factor dysregulation, or oxidative stress.
• Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) and clonal expansion of specific cell types are implicated in aneurysm progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors driving aortic cell phenotype changes in aneurysms.
• To explore the role of vascular flow in aortic cell remodeling within aneurysms.
• To review current literature on aortic cell heterogeneity and phenotypic switching in relation to vascular flow and aortic wall structure.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on clinical samples of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms.
• Analysis of studies examining smooth muscle cell and endothelial cell plasticity.
• Investigation of the interplay between vascular flow dynamics and aortic cell remodeling.

Main Results:

• SMCs and ECs undergo phenotypic switching in aortic aneurysms.
• Inflammatory mediators, growth factor signaling, and oxidative stress influence SMC behavior.
• EndMT, clonal expansion of SMCs, immune cells, and mesenchymal stem-like cells contribute to aneurysm pathogenesis.

Conclusions:

• Cellular plasticity and phenotypic switching are key mechanisms in aortic aneurysm development.
• Vascular flow alterations are critical in driving aortic cell remodeling and aneurysm progression.
• Understanding these cellular dynamics is crucial for differentiating thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms and developing targeted therapies.