In vitro cell culture model of calcification: Molecular regulation of myofibroblast differentiation to an osteoblast phenotype

The presence of calcification in the aortic valve is responsible for important prognostic information for the natural history of this disease [1, 2]. Although calcification in aortic valves has been described in the literature for over 100 years, little is known about the synthesis of bone matrix proteins in the aortic valve. Studies evaluating aortic valve calcification have focused on the expression of osteopontin (OP) expression in the mineralization zones of heavily calcified aortic valves obtained at autopsy and surgery [3, 4]. Furthermore, studies in cardiovascular calcification demonstrate parallel histologic findings in the valve and the vasculature in regards to the cellular abnormalities involved in the calcification [5].