Vascular Niche Biology and Vascular Control of Homeostasis

In this research area we investigate the molecular repertoire of organo-type differentiated cells of the vascular wall of various organs from the brain to heart and lungs to the liver and other organs down to the single cell level, in a systematic and detailed way.

We strive to identify and investigate the epigenetic, molecular, angiocrine and metabolic mechanisms that generate organotypic angiodiversity. Vice versa, the multidirectional molecular exchange of organotypic vascular wall cells with the other cells of the organ-specific tissue microenvironment including the organ-specific and hematopoietic stem cells in the respective vascular niches is of interest, as is the systemic, endocrine effects of organotypic microvessels in the whole organism.

The two aspects mentioned above are not wholly separate from each other, and they reach into the analysis of vascular-controlled disease mechanisms and the identification of angiotherapeutic target structures. ECAS will conduct a comprehensive mapping of individual liver sinusoid endothelial cells designed to produce a "signaling crosstalk map" to gain novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of stromal-parenchyma interactions in the vascular niche of the liver and to identify angio-therapeutic target structures for a vascular precision medicine.