Large artery stiffness, as measured by pulse wave velocity, is correlated with high blood
pressure and may be a causative factor in essential hypertension. The extracellular matrix …

Fibrillin microfibrils are extensible polymers that endow connective tissues with long-range
elasticity and have widespread distributions in both elastic and non-elastic tissues. They act …

Human skin consists of a stratified, cellular epidermis and an underlying dermis of
connective tissue [1–5]. The dermal–epidermal junction is undulating in section; ridges of …

Elastic fibers provide recoil to tissues that undergo repeated stretch, such as the large
arteries and lung. These large extracellular matrix (ECM) structures contain numerous …

The coacervation of tropoelastin represents the first major stage of elastic fiber assembly.
The process has been modeled in vitro by numerous studies, initially with mixtures of …

Cutis laxa is a rare disorder of elastic tissue resulting in loose, redundant, hypoelastic skin.
Both acquired and inherited forms exist, some of which have significant systemic …

The fibulin family of extracellular matrix/matricellular proteins is composed of long fibulins
(fibulin-1,-2,-6) and short fibulins (fibulin-3,-4,-5,-7) and is involved in protein–protein …

Interactions between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cells are critical in embryonic
development, tissue homeostasis, physiological remodeling, and tumorigenesis …

Elastic fiber assembly requires deposition of elastin monomers onto microfibrils, the
mechanism of which is incompletely understood. Here we show that latent TGF-β binding …

Autosomal dominant cutis laxa (ADCL) is characterized by a typical facial appearance and
generalized loose skin folds, occasionally associated with aortic root dilatation and …