Targeting Mechanosensitive Transcription Factors in Atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is the primary underlying cause of cardiovascular disease which preferentially develops at arterial regions exposed to disturbed flow (DF), but much less at regions of unidirectional laminar flow (UF). Recent studies have demonstrated that DF and UF differentially regulate important aspects of endothelial function, such as vascular inflammation, oxidative stress, vascular tone, cell proliferation, senescence, mitochondrial function, and glucose metabolism. DF and UF regulate vascular pathophysiology via differential regulation of mechanosensitive transcription factors (MSTFs) (KLF2, KLF4, NRF2, YAP/TAZ/TEAD, HIF-1α, NF-κB, AP-1, and others). Emerging studies show that MSTFs represent promising therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. We present here a comprehensive overview of the role of MSTFs in atherosclerosis, and highlight future directions for developing novel therapeutic agents by targeting MSTFs. Highlights UF and DF differentially modulate several MSTFs in endothelial cells. MSTFs regulate multiple aspects of endothelial function, including inflammation, proliferation, thrombosis, oxidative stress, and endothelial cell metabolism. MSTFs crosstalk with each other and functionally regulate endothelial gene expression and function. Targeting MSTFs could be a promising therapeutic strategy for atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]