Dear Colleagues,

Observations from basic, translational and clinical research studies provide compelling evidence that vascular injury plays a key role in the development of coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, pulmonary vascular disease, restenosis after balloon angioplasty or stenting, and transplant-associated arteriopathy. Endothelial injury is the most proximal event in the development of vascular disease. The endothelium is a dynamic organ regulated by laminar blood flow and transcription factors that confer anti-adhesive, anti-thrombotic and anti-proliferative properties mediated, in part, by NO that also controls microcirculatory blood flow and the delivery of oxygen to tissues. This review will highlight new molecular and cellular insights into diverse forms of vascular injury—pollution, non-pulsatile flow with left ventricular assist device, SARS-CoV-2 infection, transplant rejection and drug-eluting stenting—and repair responses with a particular focus on the importance of inflammation, downstream intracellular signaling and identification of new therapeutic targets.

Prof. Daniel I. Simon and Prof. Teruo Inoue

Guest Editors

 

In this special issue, we recommend review articles with approximately 5,000 words and up to 100 references with 1-2 figures, 1-2 tables.