Adhesion Molecules in Cardiovascular and Immunological Diseases
Summary
Adhesion molecules are pivotal mediators of cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions that underpin immune surveillance, vascular integrity and tissue homoeostasis. In the cardiovascular system, members of the immunoglobulin superfamily (notably VCAM-1 and ICAM-1), selectins (E-, P- and L-selectin) and integrins orchestrate leukocyte rolling, firm adhesion and transendothelial migration during atherogenesis and acute ischaemic events. Upregulation of these molecules by pro-inflammatory cytokines drives monocyte infiltration into the arterial intima, foam cell formation and plaque progression. In reperfusion injury and myocardial infarction, sustained endothelial activation exacerbates infarct size and impairs cardiac repair. Beyond the vasculature, adhesion receptors regulate lymphocyte trafficking in lymphoid tissues and sites of inflammation, contributing to autoimmune disorders, transplant rejection and chronic inflammatory diseases. Dysregulated expression of adhesion molecules has also been implicated in cancer metastasis and tumour-associated inflammation. Therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating adhesion pathways—ranging from monoclonal antibodies and small peptides to gene-editing approaches—seek to inhibit pathological leukocyte recruitment without compromising essential immune functions. Advances in imaging biomarkers and soluble adhesion molecule assays offer novel insights into disease severity and prognostic stratification, laying the groundwork for precision-guided interventions.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Adhesion Molecules in Cardiovascular and Immunological Diseases publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in adhesion molecules in cardiovascular and immunological diseases across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Adhesion molecule: Protein mediators of cell–cell or cell–matrix attachment that regulate leukocyte trafficking and vascular integrity.
VCAM-1: Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, an endothelial glycoprotein that binds mononuclear leukocytes during inflammation and atherogenesis.
ICAM-1: Intercellular adhesion molecule-1, an endothelial ligand for leukocyte integrins critical for firm adhesion and transmigration.
Selectin: Family of carbohydrate-binding receptors (E-, P-, L-selectin) that mediate the initial rolling of leukocytes on inflamed endothelium.
Autophagy: Intracellular degradation process that recycles cytoplasmic components to maintain cellular homoeostasis under stress.
STEMI: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, a form of acute heart attack marked by characteristic ECG changes indicating full coronary occlusion.
References
- Targeting endothelial vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 in atherosclerosis: drug discovery and development of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1–directed novel therapeutics. Cardiovascular Research (2023).
- Nuciferine induces autophagy to relieve vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 activation via repressing the Akt/mTOR/AP1 signal pathway in the vascular endothelium. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2023).
- Emerging Roles of Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in Immunological Disorders and Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2018).
- Kinetics and prognostic value of soluble VCAM‐1 in ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction patients. Immunity Inflammation and Disease (2021).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.