Substrate Stiffness Modulates TGF-β1-Induced Lineage Specification in Multipotent Vascular Stem Cells.

ABSTRACT: Multipotent vascular stem cells (MVSCs) are found in the vascular wall and surrounding tissues and possess the ability to differentiate into mesenchymal lineages. Previous studies have shown that MVSCs can be activated in response to vascular injury and differentiate into vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), contributing to vascular remodeling and microvessel formation. However, it remains unclear as to whether and how microenvironmental changes in the extracellular matrix, such as substrate stiffness, modulates MVSC differentiation under pathological conditions. This study demonstrated that MVSCs cultured on stiff substrates exhibited increased cell spreading, stronger cell adhesion, and a higher expression of SMC markers, including myosin heavy chain (MHC), myocardin (MYCD), calponin 1 (

SUBMITTER: Yan Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12025518 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature