Aneurysms of the thoracic aorta are a "silent killer" with no evident clinical signs until the fatal outcome. Molecular and genetic bases of thoracic aortic aneurysms mainly include transforming growth factor beta signaling, smooth muscle contractile units and metabolism genes, and extracellular matrix genes. In recent studies, a role of Notch signaling, among other pathways, has emerged in disease pathogenesis. Notch is a highly conserved signaling pathway that regulates the development and differentiation of many types of tissues and influences major cellular processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Mutations in several Notch signaling components have been associated with a number of heart defects, demonstrating an essential role of Notch signaling both in cardiovascular system development and its maintenance during postnatal life. This review discusses the role of Notch signaling in the pathogenesis of thoracic aortic aneurysms considering development and maintenance of the aortic root and how developmental regulations by Notch signaling may influence thoracic aortic aneurysms.

中文翻译：

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Notch信号在胸主动脉瘤发病机理中的作用：胚胎和成年状态之间的桥梁。

胸主动脉瘤是“沉默的杀手”，直到致命的结果才出现明显的临床症状。胸主动脉瘤的分子和遗传基础主要包括转化生长因子β信号传导，平滑肌收缩单位和代谢基因以及细胞外基质基因。在最近的研究中，Notch信号传导以及其他途径的作用已经在疾病发病机理中出现。Notch是高度保守的信号传导途径，可调节多种类型组织的发育和分化，并影响主要的细胞过程，例如细胞增殖，分化和凋亡。一些Notch信号成分的突变与许多心脏缺陷有关，证实了Notch信号在产后生命中在心血管系统发育及其维持中的重要作用。这篇综述讨论了Notch信号在胸主动脉瘤发病机理中的作用，考虑了主动脉根的发育和维持以及Notch信号的发育调控如何影响胸主动脉瘤。