Defining mechanisms behind the formation of hierarchical vascular networks

血管形成由动脉、毛细血管和静脉组成的复杂的分支网络。不同血管系统(动脉和静脉)的发展和维持取决于每条血管内的细胞黏附特性，但这些特性是如何建立和维持的仍不清楚。该项目旨在分析萌发的动脉和静脉之间连接动力学的差异，并识别构成和维持血管特性的动脉和静脉信号网络。该项目将揭示粘附性是如何被调节的，以建立一个分级的、功能的血管网络，这对生物技术部门的功能、血管器官的工程具有重要意义。

Blood vessels form complex branched networks composed of arteries, capillaries and veins. The development and maintenance of different vessel systems (arteries and veins) is dependent on cell adherence properties within each vessel, yet how these are established and maintained remains unknown. This project aims to analyse the differences in junctional dynamics between sprouting arteries and veins, and to identify arterial and venous signalling networks that make and maintain vessel identity. This project will reveal how adhesiveness is regulated in order to make a hierarchical, functional vascular network, with implications for engineering of functional, vascularised organs in the biotech sector.