Smooth muscle cells in human coronary atherosclerosis can originate from cells administered at marrow transplantation.
Atherosclerosis is the major cause of adult mortality in the developed world, and a significant contributor to atherosclerotic plaque progression involves smooth muscle cell recruitment to the intima of the vessel wall. Controversy currently exists on the exact origin of these recruited cells. Here we use sex-mismatched bone marrow transplant subjects to show that smooth muscle cells throughout the atherosclerotic vessel wall can derive from donor bone marrow. We demonstrate extensive recruitment of these cells in diseased compared with undiseased segments and exclude cell-cell fusion events as a cause for this enrichment. These data have broad implications for our understanding of the cellular components of human atherosclerotic plaque and provide a potentially novel target for future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Caplice
Noel M
NM
Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Molecular Medicine Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. caplice.noel@mayo.edu
Bunch
T Jared
TJ
Stalboerger
Paul G
PG
Wang
Shaohua
S
Simper
David
D
Miller
Dylan V
DV
Russell
Stephen J
SJ
Litzow
Mark R
MR
Edwards
William D
WD
D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002459:Cell Fusion; D002678:Chimera / Q000235:genetics; D041321:Chromosomes, Human, X / Q000235:genetics; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy