Figure 1.

A system diagram of the components (in boxes) and processes (arrows) involved in the model of smooth muscle cell behaviour. (i) The uninjured artery wall is quiescent and contains contractile smooth muscle cells (cSMCs) and extracellular matrix (ECM). Injury induces cell death and tissue damage/rupture. (ii) In response, inflammatory cells infiltrate the injured region and produce matrix degrading factors and growth factors. (iii) Matrix degradation of ECM induces (iv) SMCs to modulate their phenotype from contractile to synthetic (sSMC). These sSMCs proliferate in response to growth factors (G) (v) and express ECM (vi). SMCs can resort back to the contractile phenotype if the ECM is fully restored.