In a rather stunning study, researchers have debunked a basic tenet of our understanding of atherosclerosis, which involve smooth muscle cells that help blood vessels prevent plaque from dislodging.

Scientists had believed the these smooth muscle cells walled off plaques that build up in the blood vessels as a sort of defense mechanisms, but the plaques actually contain cells that help cause the plaques to develop in the first place, according to a UPI report.

Instead, there appear to be far more of the cells causing a build up of plaques rather than walling off fats, dying cells, and other cells.

Gary Owens, Ph.D. at the University of Virginia who authored the study, said that while his team suspected there had been a small number of smooth muscle cells that were acting this way, it was actually not a small number at all.

In fact, about 82 percent of smooth muscle cells within atherosclerotic lesions can’t be identified using the typical methodology, and therefore scientists have grossly underestimate how many of these smooth muscle cells are within the lesion, the report states.

The findings were made by genetically tagging young smooth muscle cells and watching atherosclerosis progress in mice. They found that these cells are often disguised in the lesion.

Complications from atherosclerosis is a leading cause of death in the world. Therefore, fully understand this process is very important for scientists and could result in breakthroughs in the treatment of heart disease in the future.

Atherosclerosis is a specific form of arteriosclerosis that involves the artery wall thickening because of the accumulation of white blood cells. As a result, the flow of blood can suddenly slow or stop, causing the death of tissues fed by the artery within minutes.