Atherosclerosis constitutes the primary pathological basis for cardiovascular diseases. It most commonly develops at the branching and curved regions of blood vessels. The disturbed blood flow in these regions can generate oscillatory shear stress (OSS). Endothelial cells exposed to OSS progressively undergo a transformation into mesenchymal cells, a process known as endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). EndMT is a critical event in the development of atherosclerosis. OSS promotes the occurrence of EndMT through multiple pathways. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the phenomena and mechanisms of OSS-induced EndMT, offering theoretical insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of atherosclerosis and corresponding therapeutic strategies.
Li et al. (Tue,) studied this question.