Researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in collaboration with the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that venous endothelial cells (VECs), a specific type of lung blood vessel cell, can help fix damaged blood vessels in the lungs following lung injury or disease. Their findings were recently published in Nature Cardiovascular Research.
In recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers studying lung injury found that the natural biological mechanisms behind the repair of blood vessels in the lungs and the formation of new ones, crucial for oxygen delivery, were not well understood. They focused on VECs to determine whether these cells could help rebuild blood vessels after lung injuries in adults.
In the study, researchers observed a genetic marker, Slc6a2, that identifies VECs and developed a preclinical model to analyze them. They found that these cells multiply and grow in damaged areas of the lung’s tiny blood vessels after injuries caused by viruses like COVID-19 and influenza or exposure to high oxygen levels. Using imaging, they showed that VECs not only multiply, but they also transform into other types of capillary cells needed for oxygen exchange in the lungs.
“Our findings highlight that venous endothelial cells play an important role in lung repair,” said David B. Frank, MD, PhD, a co-senior author and pediatric cardiologist at CHOP. “We discovered that VECs regenerate the network of blood vessels required for breathing and gas exchange after viral or other injuries. In the future, we envision that this insight could lead to treatments to improve recovery and support healthy lung function for children and adults.”
This research was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (grants R01HL164350 and R56HL167937); the Ayla Gunner Prushansky Fund; and a National Service Research Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship.
Wong, J., Zhao, G. et al. “Dynamic behavior and lineage plasticity of the pulmonary venous endothelium.” Nat Cardiovasc Res. Online December 9, 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s44161-024-00573-2.
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Researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in collaboration with the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that venous endothelial cells (VECs), a specific type of lung blood vessel cell, can help fix damaged blood vessels in the lungs following lung injury or disease. Their findings were recently published in Nature Cardiovascular Research.
In recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers studying lung injury found that the natural biological mechanisms behind the repair of blood vessels in the lungs and the formation of new ones, crucial for oxygen delivery, were not well understood. They focused on VECs to determine whether these cells could help rebuild blood vessels after lung injuries in adults.
In the study, researchers observed a genetic marker, Slc6a2, that identifies VECs and developed a preclinical model to analyze them. They found that these cells multiply and grow in damaged areas of the lung’s tiny blood vessels after injuries caused by viruses like COVID-19 and influenza or exposure to high oxygen levels. Using imaging, they showed that VECs not only multiply, but they also transform into other types of capillary cells needed for oxygen exchange in the lungs.
“Our findings highlight that venous endothelial cells play an important role in lung repair,” said David B. Frank, MD, PhD, a co-senior author and pediatric cardiologist at CHOP. “We discovered that VECs regenerate the network of blood vessels required for breathing and gas exchange after viral or other injuries. In the future, we envision that this insight could lead to treatments to improve recovery and support healthy lung function for children and adults.”
This research was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (grants R01HL164350 and R56HL167937); the Ayla Gunner Prushansky Fund; and a National Service Research Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship.
Wong, J., Zhao, G. et al. “Dynamic behavior and lineage plasticity of the pulmonary venous endothelium.” Nat Cardiovasc Res. Online December 9, 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s44161-024-00573-2.
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