| Autor: |
Mou X; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA., Leeman SM; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.; Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA., Roye Y; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA., Miller C; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA., Musah S; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.; Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.; Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.; Department of Cell Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.; Faculty of the Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke Regeneration Center, Duke MEDx Initiative, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA. |
| Abstrakt: |
In the human body, the vascular system plays an indispensable role in maintaining homeostasis by supplying oxygen and nutrients to cells and organs and facilitating the removal of metabolic waste and toxins. Blood vessels-the key constituents of the vascular system-are composed of a layer of endothelial cells on their luminal surface. In most organs, tightly packed endothelial cells serve as a barrier separating blood and lymph from surrounding tissues. Intriguingly, endothelial cells in some tissues and organs (e.g., choroid plexus, liver sinusoids, small intestines, and kidney glomerulus) form transcellular pores called fenestrations that facilitate molecular and ionic transport across the vasculature and mediate immune responses through leukocyte transmigration. However, the development and unique functions of endothelial cell fenestrations across organs are yet to be fully uncovered. This review article provides an overview of fenestrated endothelial cells in multiple organs. We describe their development and organ-specific roles, with expanded discussions on their contributions to glomerular health and disease. We extend these discussions to highlight the dynamic changes in endothelial cell fenestrations in diabetic nephropathy, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, Alport syndrome, and preeclampsia, and how these unique cellular features could be targeted for therapeutic development. Finally, we discuss emerging technologies for in vitro modeling of biological systems, and their relevance for advancing the current understanding of endothelial cell fenestrations in health and disease. |
