Abstract: The present invention relates to a cell culture model of vascular calcification, comprising a first type of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells and a second type of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, wherein the first type and the second type of vascular smooth muscle cells originate from blood vessels having a different diameter, e.g., from the human aorta and from a human coronary artery, respectively. This model allows to generate and analyze vascular calcification processes, including early calcification processes, in an advantageously simple and cost-effective way and with high sensitivity. It can further be used to identify and examine compounds capable of halting, inhibiting or reversing such vascular calcification processes.