Biomechanics in vascular biology and cardiovascular disease

Biomechanical forces like shear stress, the frictional force generated by the blood flow, and wall strain, generated by the blood pressure, have long been known to play a role in vascular development and in maintaining vascular homeostasis. Since the 1960s a role for these forces in the pathobiology of various cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis and aneurysm formation, have become evident. To understand the interplay between mechanical forces, vascular biology and vascular disease, interaction between engineers and biomedical scientists with different knowledge bases, languages and cultures, is required. To move forward in this interdisciplinary field, an annual symposium was set up that seeks to bridge the gap between biomechanics, vascular biology, and clinical research with the main objective to apply biomechanical research to cardiovascular diseases. [...]