Molecular characterization of endothelial transcytosis by different tissue beds

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

******Every blood vessel in the body is lined by a specialized layer of cells called endothelium. One of the critical functions of the endothelium is to prevent blood vessels from leaking and thereby losing blood, cells and proteins. The endothelial lining can become leaky when gaps form between the cells; alternatively, leak can occur through the body of each cell in the endothelial layer. This latter process, called transcytosis, occurs when an individual cell shuttles proteins and other molecules out of the blood and deposits them on the other side. Very little is known about transcytosis because it has been historically been very difficult to study. My lab has devised novel methods for detecting and measuring transcytosis by the endothelium. We will use these novel techniques to figure out how transcytosis is controlled by blood vessels in different parts of the body. This research is important as it will help us understand how blood vessels regulate their leakiness. It will be of great interest to biologists and physiologists in Canada and internationally. We anticipate that our work will set the stage for breakthroughs in our understanding of transcytosis, an important physiologic process in blood vessels that has been largely neglected up to now.**