The Radiation Biology Of The Vascular Endothelium

Endothelial cells are early targets of radiation injury. Because these cells are tissues easily damaged by radiation, if we can understand the causes of radiation injury, then normal cells can be well protected and tumors can be destroyed. The Radiation Biology of the Vascular Endothelium brings together expert reviews on the biology and radiobiology of the vasculature, with emphasis on the endothelial cell component of blood vessels. The book covers both the basic aspects of endothelial cell biology and the practical consequences of this for the oncologist, with special reference to the radiation oncologist. After reading The Radiation Biology of the Vascular Endothelium, no clinical or experimental oncologist should be able to ignore the intimate relationship between tumor and normal tissue cells and endothelial cells that form the barrier to, and are the bearers of, essential nutrient supplies.

This volume is based on the LENT V NCI-sponsored meeting held in May 2004 and the CURED I Conference in 2006. Written by experts in the field, it addresses a critical topics relating to late effects, such as mechanisms of injury, the role of screening, options for interventions, second malignancies, and prevention. It is hoped that these findings will help readers to prevent and treat the long-term side-effects of irradiation.

Biologists and radiotherapists present their experimental work and clinical data in the field of radiation injuries of normal tissues and organs. Particular regard is payed to the relevance of biological mechanisms in clinical situations. Principles of radiation damage and combined treatment toxicity in radio-chemotherapy are being explained. The main topics discussed are the importance of microvasculature, time, doseand fractionation and factors modifying clinical radioresponse for early andlate radiation effects. Tissues and organs considered in this volume are mucosa and skin, lung and heart, bladder and muscle, CNS and eye. Special problems of pediatric radiotherapy, TBI, IORT and second malignacies are also mentioned.

Tissue Barriers in Disease, Injury and Regeneration focuses on the molecular and cellular fundamentals of homeostatic and defense responses of tissue barriers, covering the damaging impacts and exposure to pathogens and engineered nanomaterials. Sections emphasize the role of mesenchymal stoma, vascular, epithelial, telocyte, myofibroblast, lymphoid and reticuloendothelial cells, along with reactions that bridge the effects of ambient factors, medical treatments, drag delivery systems with alterations in barrier integrity, tissue/organ functions, and metabolic status. Other sections cover the role of progenitor cells of different origins in the remodeling and regeneration of tissue stroma, vasculature of blood-tissue barriers, and more. Includes special emphasis on the role of mesenchymal stoma, vascular, epithelial, telocyte, myofibroblast, lymphoid and reticuloendothelial cells in the development of reactions that bridge the effects of ambient factors, medical treatments, drag delivery systems with alterations in barrier integrity, tissue/organ functions, and in metabolic status Examines the role of progenitor cells of different origins in the remodeling and regeneration of tissue stroma, the vasculature of blood-tissue barriers, and mucosa and external epithelium

Tissue Barriers in Disease, Injury and Regeneration focuses on the molecular and cellular fundamentals of homeostatic and defense responses of tissue barriers, covering the damaging impacts and exposure to pathogens and engineered nanomaterials. Sections emphasize the role of mesenchymal stoma, vascular, epithelial, telocyte, myofibroblast, lymphoid and reticuloendothelial cells, along with reactions that bridge the effects of ambient factors, medical treatments, drag delivery systems with alterations in barrier integrity, tissue/organ functions, and metabolic status. Other sections cover the role of progenitor cells of different origins in the remodeling and regeneration of tissue stroma, vasculature of blood-tissue barriers, and more. Includes special emphasis on the role of mesenchymal stoma, vascular, epithelial, telocyte, myofibroblast, lymphoid and reticuloendothelial cells in the development of reactions that bridge the effects of ambient factors, medical treatments, drag delivery systems with alterations in barrier integrity, tissue/organ functions, and in metabolic status Examines the role of progenitor cells of different origins in the remodeling and regeneration of tissue stroma, the vasculature of blood-tissue barriers, and mucosa and external epithelium

The participation of endothelial cells in various physiologic and pathologic processes has been hypothesized since before the turn of the century. However, until recently, direct evidence for endothelial involvement in these processes has been extremely difficult to obtain due to the inability to study endothelial cell function in vitro. Though the possibility of using cultured endothelial cells to study endothelial cell function in vitro was recognized many years ago, the inability to culture unambiguously identifiable endothelial cells limited investigators in their studies of endothelial function. As a result, the field of endothelial cell biology lay relatively fallow for many years. The development in the early 1970's of routine and easily implemented methods for culturing human endothelial cells and the demonstration that cultured endothelial cells synthesized a physiologically relevant protein, Factor VIII/von Willebrand Factor, quickly changed this state of affairs. Over the following decade the scope of endothelial cell research rapidly widened, spreading in a number of directions. First, methods were developed to culture endothelial cells from a variety of species. Second, methods were developed to culture endothelial cells from different organs and types of blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries) within a single species. Third, and most important, investigators began using cultured endothelial cells as tools to study the potential involvement of endothelial cells in a wide assortment of biologically interesting processes. The net result has been a tremendous increase in our understanding of endothelial cell function.