Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in Health and Disease

Dear colleagues,

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are located in the medial layer of arteries and veins. Without insult, VSMCs exhibit a contractile phenotype, which is essential for the optimal function of blood vessels, primarily maintaining blood pressure through contraction and relaxation in opposition to the heart. Contractile VSMCs are characterized by a slow proliferation rate and by the robust expression of a range of contractile proteins. On the other hand, in response to microenvironmental changes, such as metabolic insults or injury, VSMCs can alter their phenotype. During the classical phenotype transition, in response to tissue damage, contractile VSMCs are converted into synthetic phenotypes, characterized by decreased expression of contractile proteins, and increased proliferation rate and migration potential. Furthermore, depending on the environmental signal, VSMCs are able to transdifferentiate into a variety of phenotypes and can exhibit features of macrophage foam cells, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes, as well as adipocytes.

In the Special Issue “Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in Health and Disease”, we welcome the submission of original and review articles covering a broad range of aspects related to VSMCs physiology and pathophysiology. This may include topics related to certain diseases such as atherosclerosis, chronic kidney disease-associated vascular calcification, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and all other disorders associated with VSMCs. Furthermore, we may include topics associated with the molecular and signaling mechanisms of VSMCs phenotype transitions including inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and autophagy.

Dr. Viktória Jeney
Guest Editor

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