doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.107.150466
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© 2007 American Heart Association, Inc.
Brief Reviews |
Vascular Adhesion Molecules
From the Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany.
Correspondence to Dietmar Vestweber, the Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Münster, Germany. E-mail vestweb{at}mpi-muenster.mpg.de
Series Editor: Dietmar Vestweber
ATVB In Focus
Vascular Adhesion Molecules
See page 1870
The vascular system is the best organ system to analyze the formation and regulation of cellular contacts. Leukocyte trafficking and platelet adhesion represent examples for the fastest and best accessible processes of regulated cell adhesion in biology. Leukocyte trafficking requires recognition of exit sites, capturing to the blood vessel wall, and finally well coordinated steps that trigger opening and closing of endothelial cell contacts. All known families of cell adhesion molecules are involved in this complex process. Rapidly and precisely regulated adhesive activities of platelets are another area that highlights the importance of vascu-lar adhesion molecules. The formation and development of the blood and lymph vessel system critically depends on adhesion molecules, although research on the regulation of their activities in this area is still in its infancy.
This series of reviews on vascular adhesion molecules will focus on various classes of adhesion molecules that mediate the docking of leukocytes to the blood vessel wall and the transmigration through the endothelial barrier. This will be complemented by reviews on the role of adhesion molecules in atherosclerosis and in angiogenesis.
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Acknowledgments |
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Disclosures
None.
Related Article:
Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 2007 27: 1870-1876.
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