Progenitor Cell Dynamics in Vascular Remodeling

Vascular remodelling is a fundamental reparative process following endothelial injury, characterised by coordinated cell proliferation, migration and matrix deposition. Progenitor cells resident within the vessel wall and circulating in the bloodstream act as multipotent precursors that replenish endothelial and smooth muscle compartments and modulate inflammation. In the quiescent state, these progenitors reside in specialised niches within the adventitia and media, defined by specific surface markers and epigenetic signatures. Upon detection of altered shear stress, hypoxia or biochemical signals such as growth factors and cytokines, progenitor pools become activated and undergo lineage commitment. Differentiation trajectories give rise to endothelial cells that restore barrier integrity, smooth muscle cells that contribute to neointimal formation, and myofibroblasts that promote adventitial fibrosis. The plasticity of these progenitors is finely tuned by local mechanical cues and global signalling axes, including non-coding RNAs and chromatin-remodelling enzymes. Aberrant progenitor activity underlies pathological stenosis, graft failure and vessel stiffening, whereas controlled modulation holds promise for regenerative strategies. A comprehensive understanding of progenitor cell dynamics, from niche maintenance through to terminal differentiation, is essential for devising targeted therapies that enhance vessel repair without provoking maladaptive remodelling.

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Progenitor Cell Dynamics in Vascular Remodeling publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in progenitor cell dynamics in vascular remodeling across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Progenitor cell: A partially differentiated cell capable of proliferation and of giving rise to specialised vascular cell types during repair.

Adventitia: The outermost layer of a blood vessel wall, rich in fibroblasts and resident progenitor cells.

Sca-1: Stem cell antigen-1, a surface glycoprotein used as a marker to isolate a subset of murine vascular progenitor cells.

Neointima: A thickened inner layer of a blood vessel formed by migrating and proliferating cells following vascular injury.

Myofibroblast: A contractile cell phenotype combining features of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts, involved in extracellular matrix deposition and fibrosis.

References

1. Multilineage commitment of Sca-1+ cells in reshaping vein grafts. Theranostics (2023).
2. Redistribution of the chromatin remodeler Brg1 directs smooth muscle-derived adventitial progenitor-to-myofibroblast differentiation and vascular fibrosis. JCI Insight (2023).
3. Fate mapping RNA-sequencing reveal Malat1 regulates Sca1+ progenitor cells to vascular smooth muscle cells transition in vascular remodeling. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences (2023).