extracellular matrix degradation and vessel wall inflammation, all of which are hallmark features of abdominal aortic aneurysm pathogenesis. Identifying pleiotropic associations for rare variants ...

Megakaryocytes form a three-dimensional (3D) cage composed of laminin and collagen IV connected to the basement membrane surrounding them. This microarchitecture stabilizes megakaryocytes within their ...

Hepatic fibrosis is a reversible wound healing response characterized by accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM), or ... an array of changes including degradation of the normal ECM of liver ...

OA is characterized by degradation of the cartilage tissue in joints. Cartilage comprises two major components, the extracellular matrix (the surrounding proteins that provide structure ...

As noted above, stellate cell activation is the central event in hepatic fibrosis. Activation consists of 2 major phases: (1) initiation (also called apreinflammatory stage) and (2) perpetuation ...