Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a potent regulatory cytokine with diverse effects on
hemopoietic cells. The pivotal function of TGF-β in the immune system is to maintain …

The vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) in adult animals is a highly specialized cell whose
principal function is contraction. However, this cell displays remarkable plasticity and can …

Intimal thickening, the accumulation of cells and extracellular matrix within the inner vessel
wall, is a physiological response to mechanical injury, increased wall stress, or chemical …

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of proteolytic enzymes responsible for
myocardial extracellular protein degradation. Several MMP species identified within the …

Increased activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has been implicated in numerous
disease processes, including tumor growth and metastasis, arthritis, and periodontal …

Intimal hyperplasia is the process by which the cell population increases within the
innermost layer of the arterial wall, such as occurs physiologically during closure of the …

Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is a propagating wave of neuronal and glial
depolarization and has been implicated in disorders of neurovascular regulation such as …

Intimal thickening occurs in blood vessels in response to injury or atherosclerosis. The
balance of migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) over death …

Background—Gelatinase B, a matrix metalloproteinase that has proteolytic activity against
connective tissue proteins, has been suggested to be important in the connective tissue …

Microvascular integrity is lost during focal cerebral ischemia. The degradation of the basal
lamina and extracellular matrix are, in part, responsible for the loss of vascular integrity …