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Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an acquired autoimmune disorder characterized by venous and arterial thrombotic events and pregnancy complications. Patients can also develop vascular hyperplasia leading to arterial stenosis in the coronary, carotid, mesenteric, and renal arteries; those with renal involvement often progress to renal failure. The mainstay of treatment is anticoagulation, but this does not address the arterial complication causing organ deterioration.
The mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTORC) pathway regulates cell proliferation and survival, and the mTORC inhibitor sirolimus is used to prevent the arterial stenosis that occurs after stenting. To determine whether the mTORC pathway is involved in the vascular lesion…