TGFB1 and atherosclerosis: This reciprocal relationship between TGFβ and FGF signaling outputs becomes important in atherosclerosis because vascular inflammation effectively suppresses FGF signaling by profoundly reducing expression of FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1, the principal endothelial FGF receptor), thereby increasing TGFβR1 expression and initiating EndMT (6).