Endothelial Cell Function and Weibel-Palade Bodies.

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Lining all blood vessels are endothelial cells. Damage to these cells or changes in their behaviour can cause very important diseases, including Diabetes, Atherosclerosis, Coronary Artery Disease, Stroke, Deep Vein Thrombosis, Reperfusion Injury, and Pulmonary Embolism. Endothelial cells carry packets called Weibel-Palade bodies (WPB) filled with molecules that provide first aid to the endothelium, releasing their contents into the blood when the vasculature is injured. Excessive release can contribute to disease. We have been investigating the ways in which endothelial cells control how WPB and their content are made and released, and we aim to discover more about how this system works. Being able to change WPB will allow us to modulate their effect, and ultimately allow us to change endothelial behaviour. We hope that this will help to combat these diseases.