Lauren R Miller, Marisa A Bickel, Stefano Tarantini, Megan E Runion, Zoe Matacchiera, Michaela L Vance, Clara Hibbs, Hannah Vaden, Domonkos Nagykaldi, Teryn Martin, Elizabeth C Bullen, Jessica Pinckard, Tamas Kiss, Eric W Howard, Andriy Yabluchanskiy, Shannon M Conley
INTRODUCTION: Cerebrovascular pathologies contribute to cognitive decline during aging, leading to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). Levels of circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a vasoprotective hormone, decrease during aging. Decreased circulating IGF-1 in animal models leads to the development of VCID-like symptoms, but the cellular mechanisms underlying IGF-1-deficiency associated pathologies in the aged cerebrovasculature remain poorly understood. Here, we test the hypothesis that vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play an integral part in mediating the vasoprotective effects of IGF-1...
2024: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience