In the vascular wall, the most inner cell layer that separates the blood from organelles is
comprised of only a single layer of endothelial cells (ECs). This cell type is fundamental to a
large variety of processes, ranging from blood coagulation and interaction with inflammatory
cells to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis.
Dysfunction of ECs is often causally linked to these processes such that research exploring
such events attracted much attention. Damage of ECs and subsequent disruption of the …