About this Research Topic

Background

Cerebrovascular disease is the most common life-threatening neurological event, encompassing disorders where an area of the brain is temporarily or permanently affected by ischemia or bleeding. This may occur when one or more of the cerebral blood vessels are involved in a pathological process (stroke, carotid stenosis, vertebral stenosis, and intracranial stenosis, aneurysms, and vascular malformations). This group of pathologies lead to debilitating long-term morbidity resulting in physical, cognitive, and mental disabilities, and are frequently associated with mortality. While the associated risk factors and pathogenesis of cerebrovascular diseases have been well studied (from atherosclerosis onset to aneurysm ruptures), the cellular and molecular mechanisms at play are still poorly understood. Therefore, current progress in non-invasive therapies has been delayed by this lack of knowledge of the biology both at the physiological and pathological levels. Understanding the external factors contributing to cerebral vascular structural injuries is also severely lacking. Finally, many of these pathologies still require non-invasive diagnostic tools or biomarkers that may predict their incidence, progression, and prognosis.

By proposing this Research Topic, we aim to highlight recent progress in:
1) Understanding the cellular and molecular biology of the cerebrovascular unit from development to adulthood, including its specificities compared to other vascular beds.
2) Deciphering the mechanisms at stake during the emergence and progression of cerebrovascular diseases.
3) Developing techniques in the field of imaging to improve patient management.
4) Current or novel experimental models to understand the origin and onset of cerebrovascular diseases.
5) Description of new patient cohorts with cerebrovascular diseases to entice collaboration within the field.

The present research topic includes (but is not limited to):
1) Mechanistic studies of cerebrovascular diseases (Stroke, Ischemia, IA, CCM, HHT, and others) encompassing endothelial cell biology, peri-vascular cell biology, coagulation, and repair mechanisms.
2) Mechanistic studies of neurovascular development and health (vascular patterning, blood-brain barrier, vascular cell interaction… etc) encompassing, angiogenesis, vascular patterning, and interaction with neuronal cells.
3) Genetic approaches to identify targets and biomarkers in cerebrovascular diseases.
4) Novel in silico, in vitro, and in vivo models in the neurovascular field.
5) New morphological analysis of the vascular structure of the brain in patients and experimental models.
6) Novel therapies / clinical practices for cerebrovascular diseases.
7) Pathological outcomes of aberrant brain vasculature maturation.
8) Clinical features of cerebrovascular disorders.

Original research articles, brief research reports, or case reports that describe new findings in fundamental, basic, or clinical disciplines are welcome as well as timely reviews of recent progress. Methods papers are also welcome especially novel ideas in imaging methods of the brain.

Keywords: Neurovasculature, Vascular Biology, Cerebrovascular diseases, hemodynamics, Clinical Imagining

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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