Porcine Coronary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells: PCASMC

In vivo, vascular smooth muscle cells populate the tunica media of large vessels such as the aorta and coronary arteries (including the right coronary artery), where they regulate vascular tone, structural stability, and hemodynamic responses. In experimental research, PCASMC — alongside comparative models utilizing animal primary cells, porcine primary cells, and related stem cell or mouse systems — have been used to study key molecular pathways driving cellular proliferation and pathological remodeling. For instance, studies have demonstrated that the transcription factor c-Jun plays a critical role in promoting vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, and that the targeted inhibition of c-Jun can abrogate smooth muscle cell growth and attenuate intimal thickening following vascular injury. Beyond injury models, PCASMC are widely applied in developmental biology, tissue engineering investigations assessing the potential of nanofibrous scaffold materials, and translational research examining mechanisms relevant to atherosclerosis, atherosclerotic disease, fibrous cap formation, plaque stability, acute myocardial infarction, and coronary artery disease.