Endothelial Cell Biology

Most endothelial cells form the thin layer of tissue at the interior of blood vessels where they provide a nonthrombogenic surface to help prevent inappropriate blood clotting. The endothelium also maintains vascular tone in response to signaling molecules such as nitric oxide, angiotensin, and prostacyclin. Endothelial dysfunction can lead to an imbalance in vasoconstriction and vasodilation. This process allows fats to deposit within blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Specialized endothelium in structures such as the blood-brain barrier and glomeruli regulates the exchange of small molecules into and out of circulation. The lymphatic system, another specialized endothelium, removes interstitial fluid from tissues and transports lymphocytes and antigen presenting cells to lymph nodes. Endothelial cells also play a critical role in the progression of disease processes such as inflammation and tumor angiogenesis.

QIAGEN provides a broad range of assay technologies for endothelial cell biology research that enables analysis of gene expression and regulation, epigenetic modification, genotyping, and signal transduction pathway activation. Solutions optimized for endothelial cell studies include PCR array, miRNA, siRNA, mutation analysis, pathway reporter, chromatin IP, DNA methylation, and protein expression products.