Vasso Kostourou research group

Overview

Understanding how blood vessels are formed and function is of great importance to both physiology and pathology of an organism. The vascular system is the first system to develop in the organism and it governs the growth and the homeostasis of organs and tissues. Blood vessels perform fundamental functions within the body including the supply of nutrients and oxygen in all cells and the removal of waste products from tissues, enable the communication between organs and tissues by the circulation of signalling molecules, facilitate tissue-repair and regeneration and provide a physiological barrier that modulates inflammatory responses. Dysfunction of blood vessels is a hallmark for many diseases with immense economical and social impact, such as hypertension, atheroschlerosis, ischemia, tissue damage, cardiac dysfunction, cancer growth and metastasis. Blood vessels consist of endothelial cells that are attached to extracellular matrix and are surrounded by smooth muscle cells and pericytes. We are particularly interested in identifying the molecular mechanisms that control endothelial cell attachment and function during blood vessel development. Using appropriate genetically modified mouse models, we aim to elucidate the function of adhesion dynamics in vascular morphogenesis during embryonic development and in pathological conditions such as cancer. Ultimate goal of our research is to identify specific targets that can be used to switch on blood vessel growth or repress their formation, depending on the disease state.