The blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents neurotoxic plasma components, blood cells, and
pathogens from entering the brain. At the same time, the BBB regulates transport of …

Notch signaling is an evolutionarily highly conserved signaling mechanism, but in contrast to
signaling pathways such as Wnt, Sonic Hedgehog, and BMP/TGF-β, Notch signaling occurs …

BACKGROUND Each organ in the human body has its own capillary bed to carry out its
distinctive and versatile functions in response to dynamically changing systemic and local …

The cardiac vascular and perivascular niche are of major importance in homeostasis and
during disease, but we lack a complete understanding of its cellular heterogeneity and …

Our understanding of the functions of cardiac fibroblasts has moved beyond their roles in
heart structure and extracellular matrix generation and now includes their contributions to …

The heart is lined by a single layer of mesothelial cells called the epicardium that provides
important cellular contributions for embryonic heart formation. The epicardium harbors a …

Pericytes, attached to the surface of capillaries, play an important role in regulating local
blood flow. Using optogenetic tools and genetically encoded reporters in conjunction with …

After decades of directed research, no effective regenerative therapy is currently available to
repair the injured human heart. The epicardium, a layer of mesothelial tissue that envelops …

Arteries and veins are specified by antagonistic transcriptional programs. However, during
development and regeneration, new arteries can arise from pre-existing veins through a …

Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Myocardial infarction
results in an irreversible loss of cardiomyocytes with subsequent adverse remodeling and …