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TCF7L2 promotes abdominal aortic aneurysm through smooth muscle cell-mediated extracellular matrix remodeling

Yongjie Deng,¹ Yaozhong Liu,¹ Yang Zhao,¹ Hongyu Liu,¹ Guizhen Zhao,² Zhenguo Wang,¹ Xu Zhang,¹ Chao Xue,³ Wei Huang,¹ Tianqing Zhu,¹ Haocheng Lu,⁴ Yanhong Guo,¹ Lin Chang,¹ Ida Surakka,¹ Y. Eugene Chen,¹ and Jifeng Zhang¹

Published April 30, 2026 - More info

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) lacks effective pharmacological therapies. Here, we investigate transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2), a genetic locus associated with both thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms, to elucidate its role in AAA pathogenesis. Integrating summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of human and mouse aortas, we identify TCF7L2 as a gene enriched in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and causally linked to AAA development. Smooth muscle cell-specific TCF7L2 knockout significantly attenuates AAA formation across three distinct murine models (Ang II infusion-, BAPN/Ang II co-administration-, and elastase-induced AAA), independent of systemic blood pressure or lipid levels. Mechanistic studies reveal that TCF7L2 directly upregulates MMP14 and downregulates TIMP3 expression in vitro and in vivo, driving MMP2-mediated extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. Concurrently, TCF7L2 represses integrin β1 (ITGB1) expression, reducing VSMC adhesion to the ECM. Collectively, these findings identify TCF7L2 as a key driver of pathological vascular remodeling in AAA, suggesting that targeting TCF7L2 may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for limiting AAA progression.

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