Endothelial cell interactions with immune cells and fibroblasts in the pulmonary microenvironment: from the...

Session III of the inaugural biennial Research Symposium on Pulmonary Injury and Repair of the Endothelium (ReSPIRE) highlighted key advancements in endothelial-inflammatory cell interactions. The work presented illustrates a growing recognition that pulmonary endothelial cell interactions and direct cross talk with inflammatory cells are integral in both health and disease in the developing and aging lung. Data presented detail the impact of targeting neutrophil- and macrophage-endothelial interactions in acute lung injury, and the role of fibroblast-endothelial inflammatory communication in interstitial pulmonary fibrosis of the aging lung. In the developing lung, the paradoxical responses of the pulmonary circulation to inflammatory cell interactions and mediators illustrate the complexities in cross talk. State-of-the-art advances in intravital microscopy have recently revealed our ability to visualize and measure the mechanotransduction involved in neutrophil migration. This review highlights these recent advances and suggests future directions for understanding pulmonary endothelial-inflammatory cell cross talk.