Vascular endothelium is arguably the most important biological interface - that between the blood and the tissues of the body. The role of endothelium as a haemocompatible lining of blood vessels has long been known, however, due to a dramatic expansion of research activity made possible by technical advances, the catalogue of known endothelial activities is now extensive. These cells play an active role in the inflammatory process, the regulation of haemostasis and vascular tone, and the uptake and metabolism of numerous ...
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Vascular endothelium is arguably the most important biological interface - that between the blood and the tissues of the body. The role of endothelium as a haemocompatible lining of blood vessels has long been known, however, due to a dramatic expansion of research activity made possible by technical advances, the catalogue of known endothelial activities is now extensive. These cells play an active role in the inflammatory process, the regulation of haemostasis and vascular tone, and the uptake and metabolism of numerous biochemical mediators. The concept of endothelium as little more than a nucleated, haemocompatible biodialysis bag has drastically changed. The main themes of this volume centre around i) the dramatic discovery that endothelium can upregulate adhesive proteins on its surface in response to mediators such as cytokines, and that these adhesins can act as anchors for circulating cells and ii) the extravascular migration of the circulating cells.
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