February 12, 2016 
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Attention Members - Get Involved
Host Vasculata at your Institution
The summer course on vascular biology has been presented at several different institutions including UCLA, Dartmouth, University of Washington, Cleveland Clinic, University of Virginia, University of California, San Diego, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt University and Georgia Tech. The diversity in the settings keeps the course fresh as each institution highlights their own strengths.  Please consider hosting Vasculata at your institution.  Read more . . .

Participate in the Governance of NAVBO
If you are interested in getting more involved with NAVBO, consider running for election on the NAVBO Council. Every year two new Councilors are added and we are seeking volunteers.   Complete a application form . . .

Editor Needed for Vascular Biology Publications Alert
If you are interested in reviewing journals and selecting papers to be included in our Vascular Biology Publications Alert, please contact and send your biosketch to bernadette@navbo.org.  Each editor is given a set of journals to review.  This set includes: EMBO, EMBO Reports, FASEB Journal, Genes and Development, and the Journal of Biological Chemistry.  Editors only review every other month.

Special thanks to Dr. Francis Miller for his service as an Editor since 2012!  We wish him success in his new position at Duke University.  Let's also take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the other editors of the Alert - Drs. Radu Stan and Jeff Lee, our Senior Editors, and Drs. Monica Hinds, Jeff Isenberg, Juan Melero Martin, Rebecca Stockton and Kishore Wary.

Propose a session for Vascular Biology 2017
We're looking ahead to Vascular Biology 2017 (October 15-19 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds) and we want your input. The NAVBO Council and the meeting organizers (Vicki Bautch, Brian Black, Craig Simmons and Jessica Wagenseil) are seeking proposals from NAVBO members for a new session. This new session may or may not be directly related to the workshop themes. In 2017, we will present the Developmental Vascular Biology and Genetics Workshop and the Vascular Matrix Biology and Bioengineering Workshop. Our goal is to broaden the scope of our meetings, enhance the member experience and respond to our members' interests. To submit your proposal complete this pdf form and email it to info@navbo.org. Submissions are due May 1, 2016.
News You Can Use
HHT Organ and Tissue Samples Available for Research Use
 
Anatomy Gifts Registry (AGR) recently received an HHT body donation, and the following samples are now available for HHT research:
  • Skin - samples of formalin preserved and frozen lesions, about six total, from hand, L axillary, mid sternum and anterior chest locations
  • Mammary tumor - fixed and frozen
  • Lung Base affected tissue - fixed and frozen
  • Lower lobe of liver affected tissue - fixed and frozen
For more information and to request HHT Tissue: Go to http://curehht.org/medical-scientific/tissue-donation/
Welcome to our Newest Corporate Member
VisualSonics
We are happy to welcome VisualSonics to our growing list of Corporate Members.  VisualSonics will be exhibiting at the 19th International Vascular Biology Meeting.  Be sure to stop by their booth and thank they for supporting NAVBO.  Visit their web site at www.visualsonics.com
Meetings
Vasculata 2016
August 15-18, 2016


In 2016, we will present the first European Vascu
lata, based in Uppsala, with live web cast to Philadelphia. There will be registration for both sites. See

IVBM Logo
19th International Vascular Biology Meeting
The registration and abstract submission sites are now open!!  Save when you register by August 15, 2016.  NAVBO members save even more!  The abstract deadline is July 26, 2016.  Go to www.ivbm2016.org.

Lymphatic Conference in Chicago 2017
June 8-11, 2017
Northwestern University

Vascular Biology 2017
Save the date 
October 15-19, 2017
Asilomar Conference Grounds, Monterey, CA

Vascular Biology, NAVBO's annual meeting, will feature the seventh presentation of the Developmental Vascular Biology and Genetics Workshop and the sixth presentation of the Matrix Biology and Bioengineering Workshop.  
http://www.navbo.org/events/vb2017
Member News
Welcome our newest members:
David Smadja, Paris Descartes University
Somanath Shenoy, University of Georgia
2016 Meritorious Awards
Elisabetta Dejana
Earl P. Benditt Award

Gabriele Bergers
Judah Folkman Award
in Vascular Biology

Product Showcase
Submit your next manuscript to Thrombosis and Haemostasis - International Journal for Vascular Biology and Medicine!

The current average turnaround time from submission to first decision is only 23 days and the Impact Factor 2014 is 4.984.
 
The following Manuscript categories are accepted for review by the Editorial Board:
Original Articles: Coagulation and Fibrinolysis; Cellular Haemostasis and Platelets; Blood Cells, Inflammation and Infection; Endothelium and Angiogenesis; Cellular Signalling and Proteolysis; New Technologies, Diagnostic Tools and Drugs; Stroke, Systemic or Venous Thromboembolism; and Atherosclerosis and Ischaemic Disease 
Letters to the Editor (incl. Case Reports) 
T&H Images 
Trial Design Papers 
Review Articles (contact Editorial Office before Submission)
 
Here you can find the instructions and forms for your online submission: http://th.schattauer.de/en/authors/manuscript-submission.html
Spotlight on Trainees
Post-doctoral collectives: pathways to a more fruitful experience?
No two post-doctoral experiences are the same, running the gamut of rearview mirror descriptions from "...the best time of my working life..." to an angst-filled "...three years to lay the golden egg." Traditionally relying principally on one's advisor, labmates, and collaborators for support (both material and psychological), post-docs now have dedicated professional organizations in their corners. These include the National Postdoctoral Association and several unions, the first of which ( UAW5810 ) was chartered within the University of California system in 2008. These organizations focus on improving compensation, health care options, benefits, and overall working conditions for post-doctoral workers. As with all matters subject to the ebb and flow of research funding, some question the sustainability of solutions offered through unionization. What say you?
 Recent Publications by NAVBO Members

Developmental Progression of the Coronary Vasculature in Human Embryos and Fetuses
Anatomical Record (Hoboken)
Although considerable advances in our understanding of mammalian and avian embryonic coronary development have occurred during the last decade, our current knowledge of this topic in humans is limited. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to determine if the development of the human coronary vasculature in humans is like that of other mammals and avians.  Read more 

Small Rho GTPase-mediated actin dynamics at endothelial adherens junctions
Small GTPases
VE-cadherin-based cell-cell junctions form the major restrictive barrier of the endothelium to plasma proteins and blood cells. The function of VE-cadherin and the actin cytoskeleton are intimately linked. Vascular permeability factors and adherent leukocytes signal through small Rho-GTPases to tightly regulate actin cytoskeletal rearrangements in order to open and re-assemble endothelial cell-cell junctions in a rapid and controlled manner.  Read more 

F-actin-rich contractile endothelial pores prevent vascular leakage during leukocyte diapedesis through local RhoA signalling
Nature Communications
During immune surveillance and inflammation, leukocytes exit the vasculature through transient openings in the endothelium without causing plasma leakage. However, the exact mechanisms behind this intriguing phenomenon are still unknown. Here we report that maintenance of endothelial barrier integrity during leukocyte diapedesis requires local endothelial RhoA cycling.  Read more 

Acid Sphingomyelinase-Derived Ceramide Regulates ICAM-1 Function during T Cell Transmigration across Brain Endothelial Cells
Journal of Immunology
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disorder of the CNS characterized by immune cell infiltration across the brain vasculature into the brain, a process not yet fully understood. We previously demonstrated that the sphingolipid metabolism is altered in MS lesions.  Read more 

Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Controls Vascular Integrity by Regulating VE-Cadherin Trafficking
PLOS One
Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), a serine protease inhibitor, is expressed and secreted by endothelial cells. Patients with PAI-1 deficiency show a mild to moderate bleeding diathesis, which has been exclusively ascribed to the function of PAI-1 in down-regulating fibrinolysis.  Read more 

Crossing the Vascular Wall: Common and Unique Mechanisms Exploited by Different Leukocyte Subsets during Extravasation
Mediators of Inflammation
Leukocyte extravasation is one of the essential and first steps during the initiation of inflammation. Therefore, a better understanding of the key molecules that regulate this process may help to develop novel therapeutics for treatment of inflammation-based diseases such as atherosclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis.  Read more 

High density lipoprotein modulates thrombosis by preventing von Willebrand factor self-association and subsequent platelet adhesion
Blood
The ability of von Willebrand factor (VWF) to initiate platelet adhesion depends on the number of monomers in individual VWF multimers and on the self-association of individual VWF multimers into larger structures. VWF self-association is accelerated by shear stress.  Read more 

Stem Cell-Based Human Blood-Brain Barrier Models for Drug Discovery and Delivery
Trends in Biotechnology
The development of novel neuropharmaceuticals requires the evaluation of blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and toxicity. Recent studies have highlighted differences in the BBB among different species, with the most important differences involving the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance-associated proteins, transporters, and claudins.  Read more 

 

Job Postings
Job Title
Company
Location
University of Illinois, Chicago
Chicago, IL
Post-doctoral Fellowship
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI
Northwestern University
Chicago, IL
Assistant/Associate Professor
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Oklahoma City, OK
Calendar of Events
Date Event
April 2-6
May 2-3
11th International Symposium on Biomechanics in Vascular Biology and Cardiovascular Disease
May 25-28
ISTH 62nd Annual Scientific and Standardization Committee Meeting
July 17-22 Endothelial Cell Phenotypes in Health and Disease
Sept. 7-10 ISACB - 15th Biennial Meeting
Nov. 13-16
Industry News
Federal budget includes targeted boost for the NIH
President Obama revealed his eighth and final White House budget on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, outlining plans for spending priorities in fiscal year 2017. In the healthcare realm, the president's budget included few surprises. The budget proposal would give the National Institutes of Health $33.1 billion, a 2.6% increase over 2016. The funding would include $680 million for Vice President Biden's cancer initiative; $100 million more for the Precision Medicine Initiative's 1-million person cohort study; and $45 million in added funds for the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) initiative. Aside from these three targeted programs, all of NIH's 27 institutes and centers except the National Cancer Institute would receive no increase compared to FY2016.

Safety of resorbable vascular scaffolds
The Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) is on par with a traditional everolimus-eluting stent (EES) when it comes to safety (with the exception of a stronger link to target vessel-related myocardial infarction) a meta-analysis of one-year outcomes has found. As reported in The Lancet , recipients of the Absorb BVS and the Xience EES had similar combined rates of mortality, myocardial infarction, and revascularization within 12 months. The authors of the study concluded that "...the aggregate of available evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of BVS at 1 year for treatment of patients with stable coronary artery disease and stabilized acute coronary syndromes."

Vascular growth factors in kidney function
[Bartlett et al. (2016) Annual Review of Physiology] The filtration apparatus of the glomerulus comprises four specialized cell types: fenestrated endothelial cells, podocytes, perivascular mesangial cells, and parietal epithelial cells. A variety of growth factors, notably VEGF, ANGPT, EGF, SEMA3A, TGF-β, and CXCL12, signal in paracrine fashions among these cells to create and maintain filtration barrier function. 

Virally-delivered VEGF-A in microsurgically engineered muscle
[ Moimas et al. (2015) Journal of Tissue Engineering] The authors here report a modification of a published model of tissue engineering, based on an arterio-venous loop encased in a collagen-glycosaminoglycan matrix that serves as an isolated niche for angiogenesis and new tissue formation. A muscular flap harvested from the pectineus muscle was so embedded and transduced by an AAV vector encoding human VEGF-A165. VEGF expression resulted in enhanced tissue formation, with a significant increase in the number of arterioles within the chamber.
 
North American Vascular Biology Organization | bernadette@navbo.org | http://www.navbo.org
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Germantown, MD 20874-2211