Tenascin-C Drives Inflammatory VSMC Phenotypic Switching Through NF-κB Signaling in Saphenous Vein Graft Restenosis

Vein graft restenosis is a leading cause of long-term failure after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), driven by maladaptive vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) responses to arterialization-induced inflammation. The key molecular mediators of this pathological remodeling, however, remain incompletely defined. Here, we integrated multi-omics analyses of human and canine vein graft specimens with in vitro functional assays to identify tenascin-C (TNC)—a matricellular extracellular matrix protein—as a critical regulator of VSMC dysfunction. TNC was specifically enriched in a synthetic, pro-inflammatory VSMC subpopulation. Pro-inflammatory stimuli potently induced TNC expression, which was functionally linked to VSMC phenotypic modulation, hyperproliferation, and enhanced migration. Mechanistically, TNC acts upstream of NF-κB signaling; siRNA-mediated TNC knockdown significantly reduced nuclear p65 protein levels and attenuated inflammatory responses. Our integrated computational and experimental data suggest that TNC, NF-κB, and TNF-α function within a sequential pro-inflammatory signaling cascade that sustains vascular inflammation and promotes neointimal hyperplasia. These findings reposition TNC from a passive structural component to an active driver of vascular pathology and highlight the TNC–NF-κB axis as a candidate target for therapeutic intervention to improve vein graft patency.