Fibulin-1 is an essential component of vascular basement membrane, fibulin-1 knockout mice die soon after birth due to massive bleeding from small sized vessels.23 At the same time, there is evidence about a regulatory function of fibulin, as it inhibits the activity of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and thus the signal transduction.24 An altered Fibulin-1 gene expression might be a decisive factor in the formation of aortic dissection in Patients without Marfan-Syndrome. Here, FBLN1 is linked to Marfan syndrome.