Spatial Multi-Omics Reveals Extracellular Matrix Remodeling and VSMC Phenotypic Switching in Moyamoya Disease

Abstract Background Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a progressive cerebrovascular disorder characterized by steno-occlusive lesions and intimal hyperplasia. Although vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic switching is implicated in its pathogenesis, the precise spatial interplay between extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and local metabolic alterations within the distinct vascular microenvironments remains unknown. Methods Superficial temporal artery (STA) samples from patients with MMD and controls were analyzed by histology, immunofluorescence, spatial transcriptomics, spatial proteomics, and spatial metabolomics. Single cell RNA sequencing was used to profile the cellular landscape of STA tissues. To functionally validate the identified pathway, human brain vascular smooth muscle cells (HBVSMCs) were stimulated with fibronectin 1 (FN1), and patient derived induced pluripotent stem cell smooth muscle cells (iPSC-SMCs) were generated for migration and protein expression assays following ITGA5 silencing or focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibition. Results MMD STA samples exhibited marked intimal hyperplasia with medial thinning and intimal accumulation of α-SMA positive cells. Spatial transcriptomic and proteomic analyses identified an intimal remodeling program characterized by increased FN1, EFEMP1, fibronectin, ITGA5, and FAK, together with reduced MYH11. FN1 stimulation promoted smooth muscle cell migration, ECM associated protein expression, and FAK phosphorylation, whereas ITGA5 knockdown or FAK inhibition attenuated these effects. Patient derived MMD iPSC-SMCs showed similar abnormalities, including enhanced migration, increased FAK activation, reduced contractile markers, and increased ECM associated proteins. Spatial metabolomics and integrated multi-omics analyses further revealed that these changes were coupled to a metabolically depleted intimal niche enriched for reduced acyl-CoA related metabolites. Conclusions Integrated spatial multi-omics identifies coupled ECM remodeling and metabolic alteration in the hyperplastic intima of MMD. Within this context, the FN1-ITGA5-FAK axis emerges as a plausible mediator of smooth muscle remodeling that warrants further validation. Graphical Abstract