Vascular calcification: Role of vascular smooth muscle cells and its regulation by microRNA

Abstract

In this review, the aim is to discuss the pathological development of vascular calcification including a brief description of arterial wall structure and function, the development of atherosclerosis, highlighting normal physiological and vascular calcification with particular emphasis on their common characteristics, critically review the recent findings implicating the role of vascular smooth muscle cells in the pathogenesis of the calcification process including the role of microRNAs in regulation of these cells phenotype as a target to control cardiovascular calcification.

Keywords

• calcification
• microrna
• muscle cells
• vascular smooth