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Nutritional and Molecular Modulators of Vascular Inflammation and Regeneration

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 April 2026) | Viewed by 2186

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
Interests: lung injury; tissue repair; regeneration; inflammation; inflammation resolution; immune system dynamics; metabolism; metabolic reprogramming; epigenetics; epigenetic regulation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vascular inflammation and impaired regeneration are central to the pathogenesis of numerous chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, pulmonary hypertension, and age-related vascular decline. Emerging evidence highlights that both nutritional factors and molecular pathways strongly influence vascular health, not only by modulating inflammatory responses but also by orchestrating endothelial and smooth muscle cell repair, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling. Understanding the interplay between dietary interventions, bioactives,  nutrients, and molecular regulators offers exciting opportunities for novel therapeutic strategies aimed at maintaining or restoring vascular integrity.

This Special Issue of Nutrients invites original research articles and reviews that explore the mechanisms by which nutritional and molecular modulators regulate vascular inflammation and repair. Topics of interest include—but are not limited to—dietary components (such as vitamins, polyphenols, fatty acids, and microbiome-derived metabolites), molecular pathways (such as Wnt, Notch, TGF-β, and metabolic reprogramming), and cellular players (endothelial cells, macrophages, vascular progenitors) involved in vascular repair. Studies examining translational approaches, biomarkers, or interventions that link nutrition and molecular regulation to improved vascular outcomes are especially encouraged.

By integrating insights from nutritional sciences, molecular biology, and regenerative medicine, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how diet and molecular mechanisms can be harnessed to mitigate vascular inflammation and promote regeneration. We welcome contributions from basic science, translational, and clinical studies that can contribute to the advancement of this rapidly evolving field.

Dr. Bisheng Zhou
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • vascular inflammation
  • endothelial regeneration
  • nutritional modulation
  • bioactives and nutrients
  • metabolic reprogramming
  • molecular pathways
  • angiogenesis
  • macrophage plasticity
  • vascular progenitor cells
  • cardiovascular nutrition
  • translational nutrition in vascular health
  • nutritional science and vascular biology
  • molecular nutrition and regenerative medicine
  • nutritional immunology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 2897 KB  
Article
Cocoa Powder Modulates HIF-1α Stability and Inhibits Ocular Angiogenic and Degenerative Pathology
by Su Jung Hwang, InWha Park, Yeo Jin Sa, Kyu Ha Lee, Chung Sub Kim and Hyo-Jong Lee
Nutrients 2026, 18(7), 1150; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18071150 - 3 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1556
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Vascular inflammation and impaired endothelial regeneration contribute to chronic degenerative disorders, including ocular neovascularization and retinal degeneration. Nutritional bioactives that modulate molecular pathways governing angiogenesis and tissue remodeling represent promising adjunct strategies for vascular health. This study investigated whether cocoa powder [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Vascular inflammation and impaired endothelial regeneration contribute to chronic degenerative disorders, including ocular neovascularization and retinal degeneration. Nutritional bioactives that modulate molecular pathways governing angiogenesis and tissue remodeling represent promising adjunct strategies for vascular health. This study investigated whether cocoa powder (CP) regulates hypoxia-driven molecular signaling and attenuates vascular inflammation and degeneration. Methods: The vascular-modulatory effects of CP were examined in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and in murine models of alkali-induced corneal neovascularization and N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced retinal degeneration. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) signaling and downstream angiogenic targets were assessed by Western blotting and quantitative PCR. Endothelial migration, tube formation, and transwell assays were performed to evaluate angiogenic responses. In vivo, oral CP (50 or 200 mg/kg) was administered, and vascular growth, inflammatory and remodeling markers, and retinal structural integrity were analyzed by histology, immunofluorescence, and protein expression. Results: At non-cytotoxic concentrations (0.1–1.0 μg/mL), CP suppressed hypoxia-induced HIF-1α protein stabilization without altering HIF-1α mRNA levels and reduced expression of VEGFA, EPO, and GLUT1. CP significantly inhibited VEGF-A-induced endothelial migration, network formation, and chemotactic invasion. In alkali-injured corneas, CP reduced the neovascularized area and downregulated VEGF, MMP2, MMP9, α-smooth muscle actin, and Ninj1, indicating attenuation of vascular inflammation and fibrotic remodeling. In the MNU model, CP preserved outer nuclear layer thickness, reduced glial activation (GFAP), maintained rhodopsin expression, and decreased MMP9 induction. Conclusions: CP functions as a nutritional modulator of hypoxia-responsive and inflammatory pathways, suppressing pathological angiogenesis while supporting structural preservation in degenerative vascular conditions. These findings highlight the translational potential of dietary polyphenol-rich interventions in regulating vascular inflammation and regeneration. Full article
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