Contractility-induced morphological transitions in smooth muscle cells

Heart attacks and strokes are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Restenosis and thrombosis are among the most common complications of atherosclerosis treatment. Study shows that the extent of damage induced by endovascular devices is significantly higher for a rigid arterial wall than for a soft wall. The smooth muscle cell investigations demonstrate that upon reaching a critical density, these cells can spontaneously transition from flat cell sheets to three-dimensional spheroid-like clusters. The description of the physical mechanisms governing the spontaneous emergence of these intriguing 3-D clusters offers insight into smooth muscle cell-related disorders.