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Endothelial Cells in Health and Disease
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Endothelial Cells in Health and Disease

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 2179

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alessia Ricci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Interests: molecular and cellular biology; tissue regeneration; tissue repair; angiogenesis; biomaterials
Prof. Dr. Amelia Cataldi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
2. Ud’A Techlab, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Interests: cell biology; microscophy; anatomy and morphology; biochemistry and molecular biology; oxidative stress

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Endothelial cells are key regulators of vascular and tissue homeostasis. Their unique organization ensures both selective permeability—controlling blood flow, immune responses, and fluid exchange—and the formation of a protective barrier against toxins and pathogens. Under healthy conditions, this balance supports tissue perfusion and organ integrity. However, endothelial dysfunction is a critical early event in many diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and inflammatory conditions. One of the major challenges for endothelial cells is managing oxidative stress, which induces significant molecular and morphological alterations. This Special Issue aims to collect manuscripts concerning investigations into the multifaceted roles of endothelial cells, highlighting recent advances in molecular and morphological events occurring in healthy endothelium and how endothelial cells can recover when damage occurs. The Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive view of endothelial cell biology under physiological conditions as well as their involvement in disease onset and progression.

Dr. Alessia Ricci
Prof. Dr. Amelia Cataldi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • endothelial cells
  • vascular homeostasis
  • tissue homeostasis
  • endothelial cell biology
  • endothelial cells dysfunction
  • oxidative stress
  • redox signaling
  • aging
  • endothelial regulation of tissue repair

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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45 pages, 20290 KB  
Article
Palmitic but Not Oleic Acid Induces Pro-Inflammatory Dysfunction of Human Endothelial Cells from Different Vascular Beds In Vitro
by Daria Shishkova, Victoria Markova, Yulia Yurieva, Alexey Frolov, Anastasia Lazebnaya, Maxim Sinitsky, Anna Sinitskaya, Vera Matveeva, Evgenia Torgunakova, Alexander Stepanov, Anna Malashicheva, Asker Khapchaev, Nikita Podkuychenko, Alexander Vorotnikov, Vladimir Shirinsky and Anton Kutikhin
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(24), 12148; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262412148 - 17 Dec 2025
Abstract
Palmitic acid (PA) is the most common dietary saturated fatty acid, and is abundant in palm and cottonseed oil, butter, and cheese, whereas oleic acid (OA) is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid found in olive oil. The differences in the cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory [...] Read more.
Palmitic acid (PA) is the most common dietary saturated fatty acid, and is abundant in palm and cottonseed oil, butter, and cheese, whereas oleic acid (OA) is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid found in olive oil. The differences in the cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory effects of PA and OA across endothelial cells (ECs) isolated from different vascular beds have not been investigated in detail. Here, we incubated primary human aortic valve (HAVEC), saphenous vein (HSaVEC), internal thoracic artery (HITAEC), and microvascular (HMVEC) ECs with albumin-bound PA or OA for 24 h and found that PA induced a considerable cytotoxic response, accompanied by an elevated expression of the genes encoding cell adhesion molecules (VCAM1, ICAM1, SELE, and SELP) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (MIF, PTX3, CSF2, CSF3, IL1A, IL6, CCL2, CCL5, CCL20, CSF2, CSF3, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, CXCL5, CXCL6, CXCL8, and CXCL10), followed by an increased release of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8. HAVEC and HSaVEC were more susceptible to PA, whereas OA had mild-to-moderate cytotoxic effects on HAVEC and HMVEC but did not induce generalized EC activation. Compared with other EC types, HITAEC was the most resistant to PA and OA treatment. Collectively, these results indicate considerable heterogeneity across the ECs of distinct origin in response to PA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Endothelial Cells in Health and Disease)
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32 pages, 34159 KB  
Article
Isolation of Primary Human Saphenous Vein Endothelial Cells, Human Internal Thoracic Artery Endothelial Cells, and Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Microvascular Endothelial Cells from Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
by Daria Shishkova, Yulia Yurieva, Alexey Frolov, Vera Matveeva, Evgenia Torgunakova, Victoria Markova, Anastasia Lazebnaya and Anton Kutikhin
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(18), 9217; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26189217 - 21 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Primary human endothelial cells represent an essential tool to model endothelial dysfunction and to screen interventions for its treatment. Here, we developed a protocol for the synchronous isolation of primary human saphenous vein endothelial cells (HSaVEC), human internal thoracic artery endothelial cells (HITAEC), [...] Read more.
Primary human endothelial cells represent an essential tool to model endothelial dysfunction and to screen interventions for its treatment. Here, we developed a protocol for the synchronous isolation of primary human saphenous vein endothelial cells (HSaVEC), human internal thoracic artery endothelial cells (HITAEC), and human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) from SV and ITA utilized as conduits during coronary artery bypass graft surgery and from subcutaneous adipose tissue excised while providing an access to the heart. Treatment by collagenase type IV and magnetic separation with anti-CD31-antibody-coated beads ensured relatively high efficiency of the isolation (≈60% for HSaVEC, ≈50% for HITAEC, and ≈20% for HMVEC) and high purity (≥99%) of isolated ECs within ≈2 weeks (HSaVEC), ≈2–3 weeks (HITAEC), and ≈3–4 weeks (HMVEC). A colorimetric assay of cell viability and proliferation, as well as real-time bioimpedance monitoring using the xCELLigence instrument, demonstrated high proliferative activity in HSaVEC, HITAEC, and HMVEC, whilst the in vitro tube formation assay indicated their angiogenic potential. The isolation of HSaVEC, HITAEC, and HMVEC from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery is a promising option to investigate endothelial heterogeneity, to interrogate endothelial responses to various stresses, and to pinpoint the optimal approaches for restoring endothelial homeostasis, thereby reproducing them within the bedside-to-bench-to-bedside concept. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Endothelial Cells in Health and Disease)
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Review

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21 pages, 994 KB  
Review
Research Progress Regarding the Use of Single-Cell Sequencing Technology in Analyzing Tumor Endothelial Cell Pathophysiology
by Shu Zhao, Siyi Liu, Wenxin Shao and Dong Liu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(22), 11128; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262211128 - 18 Nov 2025
Viewed by 934
Abstract
Tumor vascular endothelial cells are essential constituents of the tumor microenvironment, responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients that are vital for tumor growth and proliferation. As a hallmark of cancer progression, abnormal tumor vasculature contributes to tumor development through multiple mechanisms. Although anti-angiogenic [...] Read more.
Tumor vascular endothelial cells are essential constituents of the tumor microenvironment, responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients that are vital for tumor growth and proliferation. As a hallmark of cancer progression, abnormal tumor vasculature contributes to tumor development through multiple mechanisms. Although anti-angiogenic therapies are widely used in the treatment of various cancers, the intrinsic heterogeneity of endothelial cells poses significant challenges regarding therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, further investigation into the heterogeneity of tumor endothelial cells is of paramount importance. The rapid advancement of single-cell sequencing technologies in recent years has facilitated the detailed characterization of heterogeneity among tumor endothelial cells at the single-cell level, thereby fostering a more precise understanding of the functional roles of individual cells within the tumor microenvironment. This technology has become an indispensable tool for investigating the heterogeneity of tumor endothelial cells, offering insights that could inform the refinement of future cancer treatments. In this review, we synthesize findings from the field of single-cell omics to elucidate the heterogeneous characteristics of tumor endothelial cells. We analyze recent advancements in single-cell technology used in the study of tumor cell heterogeneity in terms of both commonalities and distinctive features, covering aspects at the gene and cellular levels. In this review, we provide an overview of recent applications of single-cell sequencing technology in analyzing tumor endothelial cell heterogeneity, offering insights into the development of precise tumor therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Endothelial Cells in Health and Disease)
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