Microcirculation: Its significance in clinical and molecular medicine

Abstract

Microcirculation represents the smallest functional unit of the cardiovascular system, where the interaction between blood and tissue creates the environment necessary for cell function. Analysis of physiology and pathophysiology of this system gives a unique perspective to the disease process, and provides the link between clinical and molecular medicine. The present status and future directions of this medical and scientific frontier were assessed and projected by experts in the field at a meeting in Italy in 1995, and the conclusions are presented in this article.