TAK1 accelerates transplant arteriosclerosis in rat aortic allografts by inducing autophagy in vascular smooth muscle cells

Activation of TAK1 in VSMCs in the setting of aortic transplantation is an early and critical event in VSMC proliferation and migration, as well as neointima formation, because it controls autophagy activation, constituting a potential molecular mechanism and target for preventing transplant vasculopathy.