Advances in Endothelial Cell Biology 3.0
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2024) | Viewed by 7089
Special Issue Editor
Interests: endothelial cell biology; transplantation immunology; innate immunity; CD8 T cells; infection; HCMV; inflammation; cell signaling; biomarkers; MHC; antibodies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
At the interface between the blood and tissues, the endothelium lining blood vessels is a gatekeeper of vascular barrier integrity that ensures adequate tissue homeostasis and cell trafficking. Consequently, endothelial cells (ECs) display a large panel of key regulatory functions to control vascular tone, blood coagulation and fibrinolysis, complement activation, leucocyte migration, inflammation, and innate and adaptive immunity. These functions result from the fine-tuned expression of specific surface molecules, as well as the release of soluble mediators. Transient EC activation may occur after a perturbation, such as an inflammatory stimulus, and is characterized by the acquisition of new cellular functions to restore homeostasis. The activation of the NF-κB, PI3K, and MAPK pathways plays a role in both the tightly controlled transcription of the genes that feature the activated EC phenotype and functions and the return to a resting state. The characteristics and functions of ECs may vary according to the nature of the vessel and tissue, reflecting the heterogeneity of ECs. ECs display selective and bidirectional crosstalks with other cell types, including hematopoietic and immune cells, that influence cell differentiation, activation, and migration. For instance, the TGFβ and Notch signaling pathways are key players orchestrating the bidirectional interplay between ECs and macrophages involved in macrophage polarization, endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and graft endothelialization. Endothelial cell-specific biomarkers may provide useful tools for non-invasive investigations of vascular injury in patients. Selective therapeutic approaches targeting ECs are needed to protect ECs from injury, restore vascular integrity, promote re-endothelialization and reparative neoangiogenesis, and, in contrast, avoid excessive proliferation and angiogenesis, such as in tumors. This requires both the identification of endothelium-specific molecular targets and the development of dedicated experimental models for the screening of new drugs or biotherapies.
The main aim of this Special Issue is to provide an overview of recent investigations in the field of endothelial cell biology that advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that trigger normal EC functions and dysfunctions in pathologies and demonstrate how better knowledge of EC biology may lead to the discovery of novel molecular diagnostic technologies and targeted therapeutics.
Topics of interest to this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:
- Endothelial biomarkers for screening and diagnosis;
- Endothelial targets for immunotherapy;
- Molecular crosstalks between endothelial cells and other cells;
- Endothelial cell biology and immunity;
- Mediators of endothelial cell dysfunction;
- Molecular markers of endothelial cell heterogeneity;
- Endothelial cell signaling in cell communication;
- Endothelial cells as cell targets for drug design;
- Transcriptomics, epigenomics, and metabolomics in endothelial cells;
- Non-coding RNAs in endothelial cells;
- Endothelial cells and virus receptors;
- Molecular determinants of endothelial cell plasticity;
- Shedding of endothelial proteins and release of extracellular vesicles.
Dr. Béatrice Charreau
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
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Keywords
- angiogenesis
- apoptosis
- biomarkers
- cellular communication
- drug screening
- endothelial cells
- endothelial dysfunction
- endothelium targeted therapy
- immunity
- inflammation
- intracellular signaling
- molecular diagnostics
- Notch signaling
- non-coding RNAs
- omics
- receptor molecules
- signaling pathways
- SNP genotyping
- vascular disorders
- therapeutic targets
