Regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and intimal thickening by the Wnt pathway

Accelerated growth of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) causes thickening of blood vessels and contributes to heart disease. We have shown for the first time that a protein called Wnt4 promotes VSMC proliferation and is increased during blood vessel thickening. We believe this protein may contribute to the increased cell growth and thus to the development of thickening that leads to blockage of blood vessels and heart disease. Here, we will test this hypothesis using a model of heart disease and understand how this process is mediated.

Wnt4 signals though canonical beta-catenin pathway in VSMCs during intimal thickening but is also capable of non canonical signalling via NFATc1