Significance: Forces are important in the cardiovascular system, acting as regulators of
vascular physiology and pathology. Residing at the blood vessel interface, cells (endothelial …

The endothelial glycocalyx encompasses the entire endothelial cell, transducing
extracellular signals and regulating vascular permeability and barrier functions. The apical …

Mechanosensation is perhaps the last sensory modality not understood at the molecular
level. Ion channels that sense mechanical force are postulated to play critical roles in a …

Endothelial responses to fluid shear stress are essential for vascular development and
physiology, and determine the formation of atherosclerotic plaques at regions of disturbed …

Vascular stiffness is a mechanical property of the vessel wall that affects blood pressure,
permeability, and inflammation. As a result, vascular stiffness is a key driver of (chronic) …

Rationale: PhosPhatidic Acid Phosphatase type 2B (PPAP2B), an integral membrane
protein known as lipid phosphate phosphatase (LPP3) that inactivates lysophosphatidic …

Atherosclerosis depends on risk factors such as hyperlipidemia, smoking, hypertension and
diabetes. Although these risk factors are relatively constant throughout the arterial …

The Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex is a structure consisting of
nesprin, SUN, and lamin proteins. A principal function of the LINC complex is anchoring the …

There have been considerable efforts to engineer three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic
environments to enhance cellular function over conventional two-dimensional (2D) cultures …

Atherosclerosis initiates at predictable focal sites near arterial branches and curves, where
blood flow is disturbed and shear stress is complex. Endothelial shear stress is the …