ABSTRACT
The vasculature is involved in many (patho)physiological processes. Apart from the role of the endothelium as passive barrier between blood and tissues, endothelial cells (ECs) can actively perform complex functions to regulate pathological and physiological processes such as vascular homeostasis, thrombosis, inflammation, and angiogenesis. During these pathological processes, the vascular system undergoes phenotypical changes. Often, the vasculature is characterized by an increased capillary permeability during disease progression, a characteristic that has been used for passive targeting of drug carriers to diseased sites (1).
