A number of disease states have known links to altered blood flow sensing and/or are correlated with altered Klf2 expression profiles, including atherosclerosis and Cerebral Cavernous Malformations (CCMs), and it seems possible that the KLF2-CXCL12/CXCR4-PDGFB molecular pathway that we have identified for arterial vSMC acquisition during development may also play critical roles in vascular pathologies. The gene discussed is CXCL12; the disease is cerebral cavernous malformation.