Organotypic vasculature: From descriptive heterogeneity to functional pathophysiology

Area of Science:

• Vascular Biology
• Endothelial Cell Biology
• Organotypic Vasculature

Background:

• Blood vessels act as a critical interface between circulation and organ environments.
• Vascular control is essential for tissue homeostasis, adaptation, and various physiological processes like development, hemostasis, inflammation, metabolism, cancer, and metastasis.
• Organ-specific endothelial cells (ECs) mediate diverse vascular functions, with their heterogeneity long recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in understanding organotypic vascular differentiation and function.
• To highlight the molecular mechanisms controlling EC differentiation and vascular bed-specific functions.
• To underscore the therapeutic potential of understanding organotypic vasculatures for treating vascular dysfunction-related diseases.

Main Methods:

• This review synthesizes recent research findings.
• Focuses on molecular mechanisms of endothelial cell differentiation.
• Examines organ-specific vascular functions and heterogeneity.

Main Results:

• Recent years have seen significant progress in understanding organotypic vascular differentiation.
• Distinct organotypic functional attributes and molecular control mechanisms of ECs are increasingly elucidated.
• Vascular dysfunction is implicated in numerous chronic and life-threatening diseases.

Conclusions:

• A deeper molecular understanding of organotypic vasculatures is key to developing novel angiotargeted treatments.
• Targeting vascular-specific functions may offer new therapeutic avenues for intractable diseases.
• Continued research into EC heterogeneity and function is crucial for advancing vascular medicine.