Matthew D. Worssam

This paper develops an in vitro system that mimics osteochondrogenic differentiation of smooth muscle cells and intimal vascular calcification, showing distinct transcriptional states compared to standard calcification assays.

Smooth muscle foam cells in early-to-intermediate human coronary plaques map to fibromyocytes, express CFH and SERPINE1 unlike macrophage foam cells, and show matrix, coagulation and angiogenesis programs.

The paper characterizes atherosclerosis trajectories in vascular smooth muscle cells using single-cell data and identifies causal transcriptomic and epigenomic mechanisms of CAD risk.

This study creates a transcriptomic and spatial atlas of human arterial segments, revealing cell-type and segment-specific heterogeneity linked to vascular disease risk.

The paper links ADAR1-mediated RNA editing in smooth muscle cells to regulation of MDA5 activation, showing its role in atherosclerosis progression and vascular calcification.

This study shows chronic e-cigarette exposure accelerates atherosclerosis by reprogramming smooth muscle cells toward a chondrogenic phenotype through GRIN2A-dependent NMDAR signaling.

The paper identifies a VSMC transition linked to fibrous cap formation in atherosclerosis and shows PAR1 as a potential therapeutic target.

This study shows dioxin exposure accelerates atherosclerosis by promoting inflammatory smooth muscle cell phenotypes and oxidative stress, with AHR in SMC providing protective effects.

The paper identifies and validates novel regulators of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation using network analysis and experimental validation, highlighting RUNX1 and the TIMP1-CD74 axis as potential therapeutic targets.

The paper identifies vascular site-specific epigenomic and transcriptomic features and links them to disease risk loci using single-cell data and GWAS integration.