Vascular calcification is a multi-factor mediated, reversible and active regulation process. It involves a large number of cytokines and signaling pathways. The essence of vascular calcification is an osteoblastic phenotypic shift in some vascular cell types, resulting in vascular wall thickening, lumen stenosis and vascular remodeling. Recent studies have showed that several kinds of vascular cells including vascular smooth muscle cells, calcifying vascular cells, pericytes and mesenchymal stem cells in vascular walls have the potential to differentiate into osteoblast-like phenotype. Therefore, it is important to study the origin of the osteoblast-like cells and the modulation of phenotypic transition related to the vascular calcification.