Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Engineering of the Vascular System

This book introduces the latest research in molecular, cellular, and tissue engineering of the vascular system. Topics covered include the roles of endothelial surface glycocalyx as a mechano-sensor and transducer for blood flow, a barrier to water and solute transport across the vascular wall and to the interaction between circulating cells and the vessel wall, the roles of nuclear envelope proteins and nuclear lamina in regulating vascular functions under blood flow-induced forces, and the roles of smooth muscle cells and extracellular components in arterial vasoconstriction. In this new edition, new aspects in the vascular system are covered, including biomechanics of cardiovascular calcification, biomechanics and mechanobiology of the right ventricular circulation, mechanotransduction in brachial arteries, effects of substrate topography on vascular endothelial structure and function and effects of red blood cell mechanical behaviors on the blood flow. For the endothelial glycocalyx, in addition to updating the chemical components of the glycocalyx, the role of specific glycocalyx components, glycosaminoglycans, are summarized for their roles in capillary walls. Another new chapter introduces how the pathological pattern description in ancient medical records is correlated to the modern cytokine effect on the vascular system. Other new chapters introduce the lab-on-chips applications for cardiovascular research, the therapeutic and diagnostic nanomedicine for cardiovascular diseases and non-invasive techniques for cardiovascular diagnosis. This is an ideal book for biomedical engineers and researchers, medical researchers, and students in biomedical engineering and medical sciences.