Associations Between miR-145, TGF-β Signaling, and Aortic Wall Remodeling in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Background/purpose

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is characterized by pathological remodeling of the aortic wall, involving vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) dysfunction, extracellular matrix degradation, and alterations in signaling pathways. MicroRNA-145 (miR-145) is involved in the regulation of VSMC phenotype, whereas transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling has context-dependent effects on vascular remodeling. This study used a dataset to explore potential associations between miR-145 expression, TGF-β/SMAD signaling, VSMC phenotypic characteristics, and structural features of the aortic wall.