The phenotypic responses of vascular smooth muscle cells exposed to mechanical cues

Lise Filt Jensen; Jacob Fog Bentzon; Julian Albarrán‐juárez

doi:10.3390/cells10092209

The phenotypic responses of vascular smooth muscle cells exposed to mechanical cues

Lise Filt Jensen, Jacob Fog Bentzon, Julian Albarrán‐juárez^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Review › Research › peer-review

38 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

During the development of atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases, vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) located in the intima and media of blood vessels shift from a contractile state towards other phenotypes that differ substantially from differentiated SMCs. In addition, these cells acquire new functions, such as the production of alternative extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and signal molecules. A similar shift in cell phenotype is observed when SMCs are removed from their native environment and placed in a culture, presumably due to the absence of the physiological signals that maintain and regulate the SMC phenotype in the vasculature. The far majority of studies describing SMC functions have been performed under standard culture conditions in which cells adhere to a rigid and static plastic plate. While these studies have contributed to discovering key molecular pathways regulating SMCs, they have a significant limitation: the ECM microenviron-ment and the mechanical forces transmitted through the matrix to SMCs are generally not consid-ered. Here, we review and discuss the recent literature on how the mechanical forces and derived biochemical signals have been shown to modulate the vascular SMC phenotype and provide new perspectives about their importance.

Original language	English
Article number	2209
Journal	Cells
Volume	10
Issue	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10092209
Publication status	Published - Sept 2021

Keywords

Cyclic stretch
Extracellular matrix
Mechanical forces
Phenotypic modulation
Smooth muscle cells
Stiffness

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title = "The phenotypic responses of vascular smooth muscle cells exposed to mechanical cues",

abstract = "During the development of atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases, vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) located in the intima and media of blood vessels shift from a contractile state towards other phenotypes that differ substantially from differentiated SMCs. In addition, these cells acquire new functions, such as the production of alternative extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and signal molecules. A similar shift in cell phenotype is observed when SMCs are removed from their native environment and placed in a culture, presumably due to the absence of the physiological signals that maintain and regulate the SMC phenotype in the vasculature. The far majority of studies describing SMC functions have been performed under standard culture conditions in which cells adhere to a rigid and static plastic plate. While these studies have contributed to discovering key molecular pathways regulating SMCs, they have a significant limitation: the ECM microenviron-ment and the mechanical forces transmitted through the matrix to SMCs are generally not consid-ered. Here, we review and discuss the recent literature on how the mechanical forces and derived biochemical signals have been shown to modulate the vascular SMC phenotype and provide new perspectives about their importance.",

keywords = "Cyclic stretch, Extracellular matrix, Mechanical forces, Phenotypic modulation, Smooth muscle cells, Stiffness",

author = "Jensen, {Lise Filt} and Bentzon, {Jacob Fog} and Julian Albarr{\'a}n‐ju{\'a}rez",

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year = "2021",

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doi = "10.3390/cells10092209",

language = "English",

volume = "10",

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AU - Jensen, Lise Filt

AU - Bentzon, Jacob Fog

AU - Albarrán‐juárez, Julian

PY - 2021/9

Y1 - 2021/9

N2 - During the development of atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases, vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) located in the intima and media of blood vessels shift from a contractile state towards other phenotypes that differ substantially from differentiated SMCs. In addition, these cells acquire new functions, such as the production of alternative extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and signal molecules. A similar shift in cell phenotype is observed when SMCs are removed from their native environment and placed in a culture, presumably due to the absence of the physiological signals that maintain and regulate the SMC phenotype in the vasculature. The far majority of studies describing SMC functions have been performed under standard culture conditions in which cells adhere to a rigid and static plastic plate. While these studies have contributed to discovering key molecular pathways regulating SMCs, they have a significant limitation: the ECM microenviron-ment and the mechanical forces transmitted through the matrix to SMCs are generally not consid-ered. Here, we review and discuss the recent literature on how the mechanical forces and derived biochemical signals have been shown to modulate the vascular SMC phenotype and provide new perspectives about their importance.

AB - During the development of atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases, vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) located in the intima and media of blood vessels shift from a contractile state towards other phenotypes that differ substantially from differentiated SMCs. In addition, these cells acquire new functions, such as the production of alternative extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and signal molecules. A similar shift in cell phenotype is observed when SMCs are removed from their native environment and placed in a culture, presumably due to the absence of the physiological signals that maintain and regulate the SMC phenotype in the vasculature. The far majority of studies describing SMC functions have been performed under standard culture conditions in which cells adhere to a rigid and static plastic plate. While these studies have contributed to discovering key molecular pathways regulating SMCs, they have a significant limitation: the ECM microenviron-ment and the mechanical forces transmitted through the matrix to SMCs are generally not consid-ered. Here, we review and discuss the recent literature on how the mechanical forces and derived biochemical signals have been shown to modulate the vascular SMC phenotype and provide new perspectives about their importance.

KW - Cyclic stretch

KW - Extracellular matrix

KW - Mechanical forces

KW - Phenotypic modulation

KW - Smooth muscle cells

KW - Stiffness

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VL - 10

JO - Cells

JF - Cells

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M1 - 2209

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The phenotypic responses of vascular smooth muscle cells exposed to mechanical cues

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Keywords

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