Oxford Journals

Cardiovascular Research – Special Issues

Cardiovascular Research regularly publishes Spotlight Issues that are devoted to a specific research topic. These issues contain a number of invited expert reviews. In addition, a major part of each issue is reserved for original research papers. All papers are subjected to the normal peer review process (on average an editorial decision is made within 22 days of receipt of any manuscript). The authors of accepted manuscripts are given the option of publication in a regular issue of the Journal or in the Spotlight Issue.

Spotlight Issue on Mechanisms of Vascular Inflammation

to be published in May, 2010

Guest Editors:

Francisco Sánchez-Madrid
(Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain)
William Sessa
(Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA)

A spotlight issue on mechanisms of vascular inflammation is scheduled to appear in May 2010. The functioning of the cardiovascular system involves tightly regulated interactions among the cells of the blood vessel wall and between these cells and the cellular and biochemical components of circulating blood. The root cause of most cardiovascular diseases is an endothelial dysfunction triggered by local injury or an accumulation of harmful molecules. The affected vascular cells release vasoactive factors, such as nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species and prostanoids. These factors, together with changes in the expression of cell-surface adhesion molecules, initiate an inflammatory reaction by attracting circulating leukocytes, which bind to and traverse the vessel wall to invade the subendothelial space. During these leukocyte–vascular interactions cells engage and disengage through specific adhesion reactions, become polarized, migrate, release soluble factors (inflammatory cytokines and chemokines), and synthesize proteases that remodel the extracellular matrix. The outcome is a radically altered vascular phenotype characterized by the accumulation of tissue macrophages, tissue remodelling, angiogenesis, and both proliferation and apoptosis of endothelial and smooth muscle cells.

Topics of review articles that have been invited include:

1. Mediators of endothelial inflammation
2. Signalling and gene regulation in inflamed endothelium
3. Cell adhesion mechanisms of leukocyte extravasation to inflamed tissue
4. Mechanisms of vascular tissue remodelling
5. Animal models of vascular inflammation

We invite you to contribute original manuscripts to this upcoming Spotlight issue based on your research related to the above-mentioned topics. Please select the article type “Spotlight Issue – Original Article” upon submission of your manuscript online at http://www.editorialmanager.com/cardiovascres/default.asp.

Deadline for submission of manuscripts: October 1, 2009
Expected publication date: May 1, 2010

Spotlight Issue on Microvascular Permeability

to be published in July, 2010

Guest Editors:

Fitz-Roy Curry
(University of California, Davis, CA, USA)
Thomas Noll
(University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany)

A spotlight issue on microvascular permeability is scheduled to appear in July 2010. Endothelial cells form a highly dynamic interface between the vascular lumen and the interstitial space. Over the past few years, a rapidly increasing number of studies have shed new light on mechanisms whereby hormones, paracrine factors, blood cells and the endothelial cells themselves contribute to microvascular water solute and inflammatory cell exchange. The spotlight issue will combine state-of-the-art reviews and original research papers addressing key elements of the regulation of the physiological endothelial barrier function as well as its failure leading to interstitial edema, one of the most frequent clinical complications in disease states. Promising new MRT-based approaches for noninvasive identification of capillary leakage and the related impairment of organ function as well as new therapeutic strategies targeting the endothelial barrier failure are emerging.

Topics of review articles that have been invited include:

1. Regulation of fluid balance across the capillary wall
2. Signalling mechanisms controlling microvascular permeability
3. Endothelial contractile machinery and cell adhesion
4. The glycocalyx: barrier function and target of new therapeutic strategies
5. Transendothelial cell migration and barrier permeability
6. Microvascular permeability, compromised organ function and remodeling
8. Impaired barrier function under ischemia-reperfusion and inflammation
9. In vivo monitoring of capillary leakage