Research Advances of The Endothelial-to-mesenchymal Transition and Cardiovascular Disease

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a parallel process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), during which endothelial cells down-regulate the endothelial cells markers and acquire the phenotype of mesenchymal cells including proliferation, migration and collagen synthesize. Recent studies have shown that EndMT plays crucial physiological and pathophysiological roles in regulation of endothelial function, the development and structural remodel of cardiac muscle, cardiac valve and blood vessels. In this review, we summary the function and the regulation of the EndMT, and then discuss the potential roles of the EndMT in cardiovascular diseases including cardiac fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension and arteriosclerotic vascular remodeling, which may provide novel targets for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.