Epicardial Development and Cardiovascular Disease

Dear Colleagues,

The proepicardium is an embryonic structure, which develops at the venous pole and gives rise to the epicardium and cells of the cardiac interstitium (fibroblast and smooth muscle cells). Its contribution to the endothelium is under intense debate and there may be even species-specific differences. The epicardium has an important role later in development as a source of growth signals, which will stimulate the expansion of the ventricular wall in order to provide sufficient cardiac output and to match the demands of the growing embryo. The epicardium has recently also received significant attention because of its involvement in cardiac regeneration, which has been mainly studied in the zebrafish and murine model systems. In the mammalian heart there is strong evidence that the epicardium of the adult heart is a source for cardiac stem cells, possibly involved in wound healing and scar formation in response to injury. Several different model systems have been employed in the past years including cyclostomes, zebrafish, Xenopus, chicken and mice and this special issue of the Journal of Developmental Biology will provide a comprehensive overview of the current standing of this research field. Leading experts have agreed to contribute review articles on this exciting topic. Research papers on epicardial development and the role of the epicardium in cardiac regeneration are welcome contributions to this special issue.

Prof. Thomas Brand
Dr. Maurice van den Hoff
Guest Editor

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