BACKGROUND Each organ in the human body has its own capillary bed to carry out its
distinctive and versatile functions in response to dynamically changing systemic and local …

Blood and lymphatic vessels pervade almost all body tissues and have numerous essential
roles in physiology and disease. The inner lining of these networks is formed by a single …

Vascular malformations are thought to be monogenic disorders that result in dysregulated
growth of blood vessels. In the brain, cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) arise owing …

Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is an evolutionarily conserved zinc finger-containing
transcription factor that regulates diverse cellular processes such as cell growth …

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition is a dynamic process in which endothelial cells
suppress constituent endothelial properties and take on mesenchymal cell behaviors. To …

Cerebral cavernous malformations are acquired vascular anomalies that constitute a
common cause of central nervous system hemorrhage and stroke. The past 2 decades have …

The endothelium is capable of remarkable plasticity. In the embryo, primitive endothelial
cells differentiate to acquire arterial, venous or lymphatic fates. Certain endothelial cells also …

Genetic studies in animals and humans indicate that gene mutations that functionally perturb
transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling are linked to specific hereditary vascular …

Endothelial cells are at the interface between circulating blood and tissues. This position
confers on them a crucial role in controlling oxygen and nutrient exchange and cellular …

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are a cause of stroke and seizure for which no
effective medical therapies yet exist. CCMs arise from the loss of an adaptor complex that …