ABSTRACT
The vascular endothelium is an extensive and actively functional surface lining the luminal side of all blood vessels throughout the body. It serves as a regulatory interface between the blood and tissues, and is an important contributor to controlling vascular physiology and overall maintenance of the body homeostasis (Aird 2008). Vascular endothelial cells control the transport of fl uids, molecules, and blood cells between the circulation and tissues, contribute to generating vasoactive substances that modulate the vascular tone, regulate the hemostatic balance by producing either pro-or anti-thrombotic mediators, and participate in innate and adaptive immunity during infection and tissue injury (Aird 2008). Therefore, the endothelium represents an important target for clinical intervention as well as a gate for accessing other tissues in the body, and numerous endothelial surface markers are being explored from the perspective of diagnostic and therapeutic targeting (Muzykantov 2011).
