{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nIntracranial aneurysm (IA) rupture is a life-threatening event. While inflammation is implicated, the cellular mechanisms associated with progression from stable lesion to rupture remain poorly defined at single-cell resolution.Methods\n\nWe performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on a mouse model spanning sham, formed, and ruptured IA stages. Computational analyses included trajectory inference, cell-cell communication analysis, and metabolic scoring. Key findings were validated using human IA bulk RNA-seq data and protein-level assays on matched clinical tissues.Results\n\nOur single-cell atlas revealed a progressive \"inflammatory-lytic\" microenvironment marked by immune cell infiltration and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) depletion. We identified a metabolically specialized VSMC subpopulation (VSMC_0) that was selectively lost in formed and ruptured aneurysms. Pseudotime analysis indicated VSMC differentiation blockade, associated with downregulation of the structural genes actin alpha2, smooth muscle (ACTA2) and prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit alpha2 (P4HA2), which correlated with irregular aneurysm shape a strong clinical predictor of rupture risk. Cell communication analysis positioned VSMC_0 as a signaling hub to macrophages, suggesting a feed-forward inflammatory loop. These findings were validated in human IAs tissues.Conclusion\n\nOur study identifies VSMC phenotypic dysregulation as a key correlate of IA instability, linking molecular deficits to clinical rupture predictors. This reframes IA as a disorder of vascular cellular identity and communication, revealing potential therapeutic targets for aneurysm stabilization.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Neurosurgery, Ankang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ankang, Shaanxi Province, China. 18091531515@163.com.",
    "Department of Neurosurgery, Ankang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ankang, Shaanxi Province, China."
  ],
  "article_type": "research support, non u.s. gov't",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xiangrong Chen",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0396-3622"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Bikun Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xiaofeng Zhou"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Zongtao Wu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Dongze Xu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jingcheng Zhan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jinliang Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Mao Ling"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Fan Liu"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/expmng9922v7g.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1186/s12868-026-01029-y",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13681789",
  "id": "expmng9922v7g",
  "issns": [
    "1471-2202"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42897467",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "QP351-495"
    ],
    [
      "lcc",
      "RC321-571"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2728|Intracranial Aneurysms: Treatment and Complications"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7170175323",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13681789?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13681789",
  "pmid": "42897467",
  "published": "2026-07-01",
  "publisher": "BMC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/expmng9922v7g.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:41Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42897467",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42897467"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:45:38Z",
      "native_id": "d906f13b8bd24d05be7137ea36c09c28",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12868-026-01029-y"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2728|Intracranial Aneurysms: Treatment and Complications",
      "subfield": "neurology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "A single-cell atlas of intracranial aneurysm progression identifies a dysfunctional VSMC subpopulation associated with rupture risk.",
  "title_text": "A single-cell atlas of intracranial aneurysm progression identifies a dysfunctional VSMC subpopulation associated with rupture risk.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:45:38Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/expmng9922v7g",
  "venue": "BMC neuroscience",
  "versions": []
}