The Response-to-Injury Hypothesis

The response-to-injury hypothesis dates back to the pioneering work of Virchow.¹²⁰ Since then, it has been modified and extended by many investigators, including Duguid,¹²¹ French²⁰ and Mustard and Packham,¹²² who play a particularly important part in its development. The basis for the hypothesis lies in the similarity between atherosclerosis and the response of arteries to experimental injury, described in the first part of this review. A modification of the hypothesis that takes into account many aspects of the behavior of arterial cells noted in that section is currently being studied in our laboratory. . . .