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for Matrix Regulation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Implications for Heart Valve Disease

Heart valves are remarkably robust connective tissues that are essential for proper heart function. Dysfunction of the aortic heart valve in particular has dire consequences and is not treatable medically. Valve dysfunction results from maladaptive tissue remodeling by resident mesenchymal stem cells that differentiate to myofibroblasts and osteoblasts to cause fibrosis and calcification, respectively. Notably, valve lesions form preferentially in regions that correlate spatially with distinct biomechanical and extracellular matrix microenvironments; these correlations may provide insights into the factors that contribute to valve homeostasis and disease. In this talk, I will present our work aimed at identifying the cellular and molecular regulators of valve (patho)biology, with particular focus on how extracellular matrix properties modulate pathological differentiation of valve progenitor cells.

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