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. This evidence concerns the gene CXCL12 and famililal cerebral cavernous malformations.