Warthi et al. generated an alpha 8 integrin-cre driver that enables gene targeting preferentially in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and showed in a proof-of-principle study, that using the Itga8-CreERT2 knock-in mouse for selective ablation of the Srf gene caused vascular defects but not a lethal visceral myopathy observed in an SMC-specific Myh11-CreERT2-driven Srf loss.
- Ganesh Warthi
- Jessica L. Faulkner
- Joseph M. Miano
