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© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Current management guidelines for ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (aTAA) recommend intervention once ascending or sinus diameter reaches 5–5.5 cm or shows a growth rate of >0.5 cm/year estimated from echo/CT/MRI. However, many aTAA dissections (aTAAD) occur in vessels with diameters below the surgical intervention threshold of <55 mm. Moreover, during aTAA repair surgeons observe and experience considerable variations in tissue strength, thickness, and stiffness that appear not fully explained by patient risk factors. To improve the understanding of aTAA pathophysiology, we established a multi-disciplinary research infrastructure: The Maastricht acquisition platform for studying mechanisms of tissue–cell crosstalk (MAPEX). The explicit scientific focus of the platform is on the dynamic interactions between vascular smooth muscle cells and extracellular matrix (i.e., cell–matrix crosstalk), which play an essential role in aortic wall mechanical homeostasis. Accordingly, we consider pathophysiological influences of wall shear stress, wall stress, and smooth muscle cell phenotypic diversity and modulation. Co-registrations of hemodynamics and deep phenotyping at the histological and cell biology level are key innovations of our platform and are critical for understanding aneurysm formation and dissection at a fundamental level. The MAPEX platform enables the interpretation of the data in a well-defined clinical context and therefore has real potential for narrowing existing knowledge gaps. A better understanding of aortic mechanical homeostasis and its derangement may ultimately improve diagnostic and prognostic possibilities to identify and treat symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with existing and developing aneurysms.

Details

Title
The Maastricht Acquisition Platform for Studying Mechanisms of Cell–Matrix Crosstalk (MAPEX): An Interdisciplinary and Systems Approach towards Understanding Thoracic Aortic Disease
Author
Ganizada, Berta H 1 ; Reesink, Koen D 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Parikh, Shaiv 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Mitch J F G Ramaekers 3 ; Akbulut, Asim C 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Pepijn J M H Saraber 5 ; Debeij, Gijs P 6 ; Jaminon, Armand M 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Natour, Ehsan 8 ; Lorusso, Roberto 8 ; Wildberger, Joachim E 9 ; Mees, Barend 10 ; Schurink, Geert Willem 10 ; Jacobs, Michael J 10 ; Cleutjens, Jack 11 ; Krapels, Ingrid 12 ; Gombert, Alexander 13   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Maessen, Jos G 8 ; Accord, Ryan 14 ; Delhaas, Tammo 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Schalla, Simon 3 ; Schurgers, Leon J 15   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Bidar, Elham 8 

 Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; [email protected] (B.H.G.); ; Department of Biochemistry, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands 
 Department of Biomedical Engineering, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands 
 Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Cardiology, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands 
 Department of Biochemistry, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; Stem Cell Research University Maastricht Facility, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands 
 Department of Biochemistry, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Biomedical Engineering, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands 
 Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; [email protected] (B.H.G.); ; Department of Biomedical Engineering, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands 
 Department of Biochemistry, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands 
 Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; [email protected] (B.H.G.); 
 Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands 
10  Department of Vascular Surgery, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands 
11  Department of Pathology, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands 
12  Department of Clinical Genetics, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands 
13  Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany 
14  Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Center for Congenital Heart Diseases, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands 
15  Department of Biochemistry, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Heart and Vascular Center, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; Stem Cell Research University Maastricht Facility, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands; Institute of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany 
First page
2095
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
22279059
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2856839152
Copyright
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.