Vascular wall extracellular matrix proteins and vascular diseases

Extracellular matrix remodeling and matrix metalloproteinases in the vascular wall during aging and in pathological conditions.

The extracellular matrix provides a structural framework essential for the functional properties of vessel walls. The three dimensional organization of the extracellular matrix molecules - elastin, collagens, proteoglycans and structural glycoproteins - synthesized during fetal development - is optimal for these functions. In uninjured arteries and veins, some proteases are constitutively expre...

Vascular extracellular matrix and aortic development.

Vascular extracellular matrix and arterial mechanics.

An important factor in the transition from an open to a closed circulatory system was a change in vessel wall structure and composition that enabled the large arteries to store and release energy during the cardiac cycle. The component of the arterial wall in vertebrates that accounts for these properties is the elastic fiber network organized by medial smooth muscle. Beginning with the onset o...

Vascular Aging and Diseases: Molecular Mechanisms and Influences

Vascular aging plays an important role in the mortality of the elderly, but vascular aging can be dependent on other factors such as diseases. Various diseases such as Alzheimer, diabetes, thalassemia, and other diseases affect the mechanisms of vascular aging. It will harm the recovery process of these patients. There are methods for measuring vascular aging such as instrumental measurements a...

Extracellular Matrix Molecules Facilitating Vascular Biointegration

All vascular implants, including stents, heart valves and graft materials exhibit suboptimal biocompatibility that significantly reduces their clinical efficacy. A range of biomolecules in the subendothelial space have been shown to play critical roles in local regulation of thrombosis, endothelial growth and smooth muscle cell proliferation, making these attractive candidates for modulation of...