Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) was identified in a search for serum factors that
stimulate smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation. During the development of lesions of
atherosclerosis that can ultimately lead to vessel occlusion, SMC are stimulated by
inflammatory factors to migrate from their normal location in the media. They accumulate
within the forming lesion where they contribute to lesion expansion by proliferation and
deposition of extracellular matrix. Different genetic manipulations in vascular cells combined …