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Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Isolation of Primary Patient-specific Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells and Semiquantitative Real-time Contraction Measurements In Vitro
Published on: February 15, 2022
TMEM16A in gastrointestinal and vascular smooth muscle contractility
Sadik Taskin Tas1, Marc O Anderson1,2, Onur Cil1
1Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
None:
Calcium-activated Cl- channels (CaCC) are widely expressed proteins which regulate various physiological functions. TMEM16A is a CaCC expressed in the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems, where it is a major regulator of tissue contraction. In this review we discuss recent advances on the roles of TMEM16A in gastrointestinal and vascular smooth muscle contractility, including its segment and cell type-specific effects. We also discuss recent physiological and pharmacological evidence suggesting potential therapeutic utility of TMEM16A modulators in gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases associated with altered smooth muscle contractility.
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