The Endothelial Glycocalyx: Physiological, Pathological and Therapeutic “Holy Grail”

Dear Colleagues,

Since the first reports of the pioneering experiments of Furchgott and Zawadzki in 1980, followed by Moncada et al.’s critical observations that atherogenesis within large arteries produces similar changes in vascular reactivity to those of endothelial denudation, the concept of “endothelial dysfunction” has been used widely, usually to describe the impairment of vasodilator responses to nitric oxide (NO)-releasing agents.

Much has changed since then. It has become increasingly clear that changes in the arterioles in terms of their vascular physiology may be far more important than those in large arteries, and that these disturbances of homeostasis may be pivotal to the pathophysiology of vascular ageing, myocardial ischaemia, heart failure, COVID vasculitis and other disorders. Furthermore, the overall control of disordered microvascular function may reside primarily in the functional integrity of the endothelial glycocalyx, a carbohydrate-rich layer that lies between the endothelium and the vascular lumen, modulating microvascular permeability, rheology, platelet activation and, finally, autacoidal function (and, therefore, fluctuations in microvascular tone).

This Special Issue represents an opportunity to update readers on all aspects of this seminal area of progress. To achieve this objective, we seek articles addressing the entire spectrum of this new view of vascular (patho)physiology and its therapeutic implications.

Prof. Dr. John D. Horowitz
Guest Editor

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• atherogenesis
• endothelial dysfunction
• disordered microvascular function
• glycocalyx
• vascular