Atherosclerosis and endothelial mechanotransduction: current knowledge and models for future research

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Science
• Cell Biology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Endothelial cell (EC) health is vital for physiological vascular functions.
• EC dysfunction is linked to vascular diseases like atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.
• ECs' ability to sense and transduce signals is key to vascular homeostasis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review EC-mediated mechanotransduction events.
• To identify involved EC subcellular components and pathways.
• To discuss current and future modeling approaches for atherosclerosis therapies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of mechanotransduction in ECs.
• Analysis of in vivo animal models.
• Evaluation of in vitro biomimetic models.

Main Results:

• Detailed description of EC mechanotransduction mechanisms.
• Identification of key subcellular players and signaling pathways.
• Comparison of current animal and biomimetic models' strengths and weaknesses.

Conclusions:

• Understanding EC mechanotransduction is critical for vascular health.
• Advanced biomimetic models are promising for studying atherosclerosis.
• Improved models can accelerate the development of novel cardiovascular therapies.