Endothelial to mesenchymal transition: When the good one goes bad

The inner lumen of the blood vessels is covered by a thin layer of cells, known as endothelial cells. The integrity of endothelial cells is important for the development of the cardiovascular system and protection against cardiovascular diseases. Endothelial cells have been reported to possess the ability to transdifferentiate into mesenchymal cells (endothelial to mesenchymal transition, EndMT) [1 –3]. During the process of EndMT, endothelial cells lose their specific cell surface markers of ve-Cadherin and CD31, and instead express markers for mesenchymal or myofibroblastic cells, such as α-SMA, type I collagen, and vimentin.
Source: Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research