Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Clinical Research Center, Malmö.
Department of Cardiology, Malmö, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Sweden.
Curr Opin Lipidol. 2021 Oct 1;32(5):277-285. doi: 10.1097/MOL.0000000000000775.
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is critical for all aspects of vascular pathobiology. In vascular disease the balance of its structural components is shifted. In atherosclerotic plaques there is in fact a dynamic battle between stabilizing and proinflammatory responses. This review explores the most recent strides that have been made to detail the active role of the ECM - and its main binding partners - in driving atherosclerotic plaque development and destabilization.
Proteoglycans-glycosaminoglycans (PGs-GAGs) synthesis and remodelling, as well as elastin synthesis, cross-linking, degradation and its elastokines potentially affect disease progression, providing multiple steps for potential therapeutic intervention and diagnostic targeted imaging. Of note, GAGs biosynthetic enzymes modulate the phenotype of vascular resident and infiltrating cells. In addition, while plaque collagen structure exerts very palpable effects on its immediate surroundings, a new role for collagen is also emerging on a more systemic level as a biomarker for cardiovascular disease as well as a target for selective drug-delivery.
The importance of studying the ECM in atherosclerosis is more and more acknowledged and various systems are being developed to visualize, target and mimic it.
细胞外基质（ECM）对于血管病理生物学的各个方面都至关重要。在血管疾病中，其结构成分的平衡发生了转变。在动脉粥样硬化斑块中，实际上存在着稳定和促炎反应之间的动态斗争。本综述探讨了最近在详细阐述 ECM 及其主要结合伴侣在驱动动脉粥样硬化斑块发展和不稳定方面的积极作用方面所取得的进展。
糖胺聚糖（PGs-GAGs）合成和重塑以及弹性蛋白的合成、交联、降解及其弹性蛋白细胞因子可能会影响疾病的进展，为潜在的治疗干预和诊断靶向成像提供了多个步骤。值得注意的是，GAGs 生物合成酶调节血管固有和浸润细胞的表型。此外，尽管斑块胶原结构对其周围环境产生了非常明显的影响，但胶原在更系统的水平上也出现了新的作用，作为心血管疾病的生物标志物以及选择性药物输送的靶标。
研究动脉粥样硬化中 ECM 的重要性越来越被认可，并且正在开发各种系统来可视化、靶向和模拟 ECM。
