The "Journal of Vascular Research" publishes original articles and reviews of scientific excellence in vascular biology, physiology and pathophysiology. The scope of the journal covers a broad spectrum of vascular and lymphatic research including vascular structure, vascular function, hemodynamics, mechanics, cell signalling, intercellular communication, growth and differentiation. This volume consists of abstracts from the 8th International Symposium on Mechanisms of Vasodilatation, held in Boston in 2001.