title: Inhibitors of vascular calcification as potential therapeutic targets.
abstract: Vascular calcification is frequent in the general population. Its incidence increases with age. It contributes to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with advanced atherosclerosis, in the presence or absence of diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Both diabetes and CKD aggravate its degree of severity and accelerate its progression. Vascular calcification is the result of both passive and active processes of calcium phosphate deposition in the arterial wall. These processes are more or less successfully opposed by inhibitory proteins and nonpeptidic factors. In the present overview we discuss the roles of several among these vascular calcification inhibitors which represent potential therapeutic targets.
authors.affiliation: INSERM ERI-12 (EA 4292), Amiens, France.
authors.forename: Raja
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rezg
authors.forename: Fellype C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: Daniela V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liabeuf
authors.forename: Tilman B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Drüeke
authors.forename: Ziad A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Massy
mesh_terms: D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000502:physiology; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000502:physiology; D011755:Pyrophosphatases / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; C065962:ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase 1; D011755:Pyrophosphatases