16.01.2025

Parallels between atherosclerosis and bone remodeling uncovered

Effect of cGMP on bone growth and vascular calcification — Effects of the cGMP signaling pathway on bone growth and vascular calcification: If the cGMP signaling pathway is activated in certain bone cells (left, yellow cells), this promotes bone growth. If, on the other hand, this signaling pathway is active in muscle cells of atherosclerotic vessels (right, yellow cells), this inhibits vascular calcification. Interestingly, the branch of the cGMP signaling pathway investigated here is not active in all cells of atherosclerotic vessels (right, purple cells). The chemical structure of cGMP is shown at the top center. Below are vascular muscle cells that were observed live under the microscope and are currently producing a lot or a little cGMP (yellow, purple cells).

The second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) exerts important regulatory functions in bone growth and cardiovascular homeostasis. A research team led by IFIB researchers Moritz Lehners and Robert Feil correlated cGMP signaling with the phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells and thereby discovered an atheroprotective mechanism that reminds of remodeling processes during bone growth.

The study was published in Nature Communications.

Publication:

Lehners M., Schmidt H, Zaldivia MTK, Stehle D, Krämer M, Peter A, Adler J, Lukowski R, Feil S, Feil R. 2025. Single-cell analysis identifies the CNP/GC-B/cGMP axis as marker and regulator of modulated VSMCs in atherosclerosis. Nat Commun 16, 429 (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55687-9

For further information, please see the press release.

Contact:

Dr. Moritz Lehners
University of Tübingen
Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry (IFIB)
Phone +49 7071 29-72458
moritz.lehnersspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de

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