title: Mechanisms of Vascular Calcification: The Pivotal Role of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase 4.
abstract: Vascular calcification, abnormal mineralization of the vessel wall, is frequently associated with aging, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease. Vascular calcification is a key risk factor for many adverse clinical outcomes, including ischemic cardiac events and subsequent cardiovascular mortality. Vascular calcification was long considered to be a passive degenerative process, but it is now recognized as an active and highly regulated process similar to bone formation. However, despite numerous studies on the pathogenesis of vascular calcification, the mechanisms driving this process remain poorly understood. Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases (PDKs) play an important role in the regulation of cellular metabolism and mitochondrial function. Recent studies show that PDK4 is an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of various metabolic diseases. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge regarding the mechanisms of vascular calcification and describe the role of PDK4 in the osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells and development of vascular calcification. Further studies aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms of vascular calcification will be critical for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Jaechan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2329-4374
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leem
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.|BK21 PLUS KNU Biomedical Convergence Program, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea. leei@knu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: In Kyu
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7908-8129
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Bone morphogenetic proteins; Mitochondria; Osteogenic differentiation; Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4; Vascular calcification; Vascular smooth muscle cells