Vascular remodeling is a dynamic process of structural and functional changes in response to biochemical and biomechanical signals in a complex in vivo milieu. While inherently adaptive, dysregulation leads to maladaptive remodeling. Reactive oxygen species participate in homeostatic cell signaling in tightly regulated- and compartmentalized cellular circuits. It is well established that perturbations in oxidation-reduction (redox) homeostasis can lead to a state of oxidative-, and more recently, reductive stress. We provide an overview of the redox signaling in the vasculature and review the role of oxidative- and reductive stress in maladaptive vascular remodeling. Particular emphasis has been placed on essential processes that determine phenotype modulation, migration and fate of the main cell types in the vessel wall. Recent advances in systems biology and the translational opportunities they may provide to specifically target the redox pathways driving pathological vascular remodeling are discussed.
Keywords: Reactive oxygen species; Redox stress; Signal transduction; Vascular remodeling.