The blood vessels, which consist of endothelial cells and mural cells (the vascular smooth muscle cells and pericytes), are conduits for the exchange of oxygen, nutrients, and metabolic waste. However, during the last decade, emerging evidence has demonstrated that vessel-derived paracrine signals play an essential role in many physiopathological conditions, including organ development, regeneration, tumor metastasis, etc. We aim to understand the crosstalk between endothelial cells and mural cells as well as how such crosstalk controls vascular function and shapes the local microenvironment and tissue homeostasis in health and disease.
Laboratory of Vascular Biology and Organ Homeostasis
Dr. Junhao Hu