Endothelial Signaling in Development and Disease

This book surveys healthy and diseased vascular systems in a multitude of model organisms and systems. It explores a plethora of functions, characteristics, and pathologies of the vascular system such as angiogenesis, fibroblast growth factor signaling, lymphangiogenesis, junctional signaling, the extracellular matrix, vascular permeability, leukocyte extravasation, axon guidance factors, the angiopoietin system, and chronic obstructive lung disease. Following a preface from leading researcher Dr. Holger Gerhardt, the text is divided into three sections- the first examining the development of the vascular system in a variety of contexts, the second delving into its homeostatic characteristics, and the third discussing its pathophysiologies. The sixteen chapters, which represent international clinical and research perspectives, highlight the importance of molecular and signaling pathways for translational basic science and clinical medicine. Additionally, the text explores new and exciting fields in vascular biology research. Comprehensive in both content and approach, Vascular Signaling in Health and Disease is ideal for graduate students, researchers, and clinicians interested in vascular biology, pneumology, and molecular biology.

Mirko HH Schmidt is Professor of Anatomy and Biochemistry at the Institute of Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology in Mainz, Germany. He received his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Lübeck, Germany and studied molecular signaling processes as a postdoc at the Hermelin Brain Tumor Center, Detroit, MI, USA and at the Institute of Biochemistry II in Frankfurt/Mainz, Germany. His research group “Molecular Signal Transduction” focuses on the degeneration of signaling pathways in the diseased brain and was located at the Institute of Neurology (Edinger Institute) in Frankfurt before moving to Mainz. Prof. Schmidt has received numerous fellowships and awards for his research on Translational Molecular Medicine.

 Stefan Liebner is a research group leader at the Institute of Neurology (Edinger Institute), Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Clinic, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. After receiving his PhD in cell biology at the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, he investigatedthe role of endothelial β-catenin for vascular development at the FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM) Milan, Italy as a postdoctoral fellow. Dr. Liebner has received numerous fellowships and awards for his research on molecular mechanisms of blood-brain barrier development, maintenance and dysfunction. He is an active member of the International Brain Barriers Society (IBBS), and the European Vascular Biology Society (EVBM).