About the Authors

Hongjuan Gao

Affiliation Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and the Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America

Rajkumar Baldeosingh

Affiliations Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and the Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America, Graduate Program in Life Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America

Xiaorong Wu

Affiliation Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and the Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America

Nancy Fossett

nfossett@som.umaryland

Affiliations Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases and the Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America, Graduate Program in Life Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: NF HG. Performed the experiments: NF HG RB XW. Analyzed the data: NF HG RB. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: NF HG RB XW. Wrote the paper: NF HG. Preformed essential micro dissection and sample mounting: XW HG RB.