We confirmed that IMD treatment inhibited the osteoblast-like phenotypic transition of VSMCs, as evidenced by increased protein levels of the VSMC lineage markers SM22α and αSMA and decreased protein levels of the osteogenic markers Runx2 and BMP2 in calcified aortas of CKD rats (Figure 1F–J). Here, RUNX2 is linked to chronic kidney disease.