Xiaoyu Tian

the School of Biomedical Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, HK, China

The  microvasculature  plays  a  central  role  in  maintaining  organ homeostasis. For instance, pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, in  addition to  being  the  interface  of  gas  exchange,  also  regulates homeostasis, and its dysfunction is a key driver of acute lung injury and inflammation.  Our  recent  work  explored  how  endothelial  cells— particularly those lining the lung capillaries—respond to inflammatory insults and contribute to vascular barrier breakdown. Using genetic

mouse models and single-cell transcriptomics, we have uncovered critical mechanisms by which endothelial   signaling   pathways    regulate   vascular    permeability   during    injury.   We   also demonstrated how specific inflammatory mediators disrupt tight junction integrity and promote leukocyte infiltration through transcriptional and post-translational regulation. We will discuss in vivo and in vitro methods to study endothelial barrier function. In summary, our study highlight how  understanding  endothelial  cell  heterogeneity  and  signaling  dynamics  can  inform  the development of targeted interventions to improve organ function in critically ill patients.