Dear Colleagues,

We propose an honorary Special Issue of Polymers to celebrate the great contributions of Professor Domenico Palombo. He is a Full Professor of Vascular Surgery at the University of Genoa, Department of Surgical and Integrated Diagnostic Sciences; Director of the Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Department at Ospedale Policlinico San Martino in Genoa; Director of BELONG (Biologically Inspired Engineering in Vascular Medicine and Longevity) research center at the University of Genoa and Director of the Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Vascular Biology—University of Genoa and Ospedale Policlinico San Martino. He is the author/coauthor of more than 147 publications of peer-reviewed international journals with h-index of 25 and 3213 citations, several contributions in volumes and he has made more than 500 presentations to scientific meetings worldwide. 

Starting with his Medical Degree thesis, Domenico Palombo has been involved in numerous research activities in the field of vascular surgery and diseases, participating in numerous national and international prospective randomized studies and developing an interest in vascular biology. In addition to daily surgical activity, he carried out multidisciplinary studies aimed at investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of vascular diseases and identifying new tools for their treatment and prevention. He also founded the first vascular biobank in Italy, acting as a bridge between clinical and research activities. Currently, his research topics are represented by the study of the mechanisms underlying endothelial dysfunction, identification of molecules with antioxidant and vasoprotective activities and biological validation of electrospun biodegradable scaffolds and nanoparticles encapsulating bioactive molecules. Regarding clinical research, his primary focus is modulation of the inflammatory response in patients with carotid stenosis and abdominal aortic aneurysm. Other studies regard fluid dynamics of abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms and related endovascular treatment. 

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality in the Western world, and efficient treatment requires improvement of therapeutic approaches. Tissue engineering and nanotechnology offer innovative solutions for early stage diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Indeed, nanotechnology has great potential for the diagnosis and therapy of these prominent pathologies, using novel nanomaterial that can incorporate diverse bioactives along with diagnostic agents in a single carrier, referred to as theranostics. Tissue engineering has evolved to provide solutions to tissue creation and repair in the event of loss or failure of cardiovascular function, with the objective of avoiding organ transplantation, surgical reconstruction, mechanical or synthetic devices or the administration of metabolic products. Progress has been made in engineering various devices for the cardiovascular system, including substitutes for blood vessels, heart valves, and cardiac muscle. Many studies have been performed in recent years on applications of tissue engineering and nanotechnology for the diagnosis and therapy of cardiovascular diseases. The use of polymers, biopolymers and engineered polymeric structure in these applications is highly attractive, as polymers have high potential due to their degradability, biocompatibility or biofunctionality and the ability to elicit appropriate host tissue response. 

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight recent innovation in cardiovascular diseases’ diagnosis and treatment. We welcome contributions on the following topics:

• Innovative nanocarriers for detection of CVDs;
• Novel therapies and therapeutic approaches to CVDs;
• New studies on the individuation of promising markers for cardiovascular risks;
• Cardiovascular tissue engineering;
• Clinical outcomes of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic tools for cardiovascular disease;
• Validation of bioactive compounds for cardiovascular diseases;
• Engineering aspects for the description of cardiovascular diseases.

Prof. Dr. Roberta Campardelli
Dr. Pier Francesco Ferrari
Guest Editors

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• vascular-intended drug delivery
• novel therapies
• cardiovascular tissue engineering
• markers for cardiovascular risks
• diagnosis