A fibroblast-like endothelial cell state promotes atherosclerosis via C/EBPβ-activated TGF-β signaling.

ABSTRACT: Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction is a critical driver of chronic vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis. However, the molecular details of EC state dynamics during vascular disease progression remain ill-defined. Here, we used in-depth single-cell RNA sequencing to map transcriptional landscapes and molecular signatures of EC phenotypic plasticity during atherosclerosis in the mouse arota. This analysis identified a unique fibroblast-like EC population in atherosclerotic blood vessels, characterized by high expression of endothelial activation markers and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, which increased with disease severity. Pseudotime trajectory analysis revealed that these fibroblast-like ECs represent terminal states of endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) during athero

SUBMITTER: Fan L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12910015 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature