Role of the Endothelium in Neonatal Diseases

Abstract

In both fetal and neonatal physiologic and pathologic processes in most organs, endothelial cells are known to play critical roles. Although the endothelium is one of the most ubiquitous cell type in the body, the tight adherence to the blood vessel wall has made it difficult to study their diverse function and structure. In this article, we have reviewed endothelial cell origins and explored their heterogeneity in terms of structure, function, developmental changes, and their role in inflammatory and infectious diseases. We have also attempted to evaluate the untapped therapeutic potentials of endothelial cells in neonatal disease. This article comprises various peer-reviewed studies, including ours, and an extensive database literature search from EMBASE, PubMed, and Scopus.

Editorial: Endotyping and phenotyping prematurity and its complications

“…Similarly to brain maturation, the nature, timing, and extent of prenatal environment may alter fetal and neonatal endothelial function ( 7 , 8 ). Changes in the luminal surface, oxidative stress, growth factors imbalance, and dysregulation of permeability and vascular tone are the leading causes of endothelial dysfunction in preterm infants ( 9 ). Preterm birth impairs numerous endothelial pathways with potentially severe early and late neonatal adverse outcomes.…”