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Zhang. Vessel Plus 2022;6:20 Vessel Plus
DOI: 10.20517/2574-1209.2021.140

Editorial Open Access

Learn from the past, review the present, and look

towards the future

Jun Zhang
Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical
Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX 79905, USA.

Correspondence to: Dr. Jun Zhang, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine,
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, 5001 El Paso Drive, El Paso, TX
79905, USA. E-mail: jun.zhang2000@gmail.com
How to cite this article: Zhang J. Learn from the past, review the present, and look towards the future. Vessel Plus 2022;6:20.
https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2574-1209.2021.140
Received: 19 Nov 2021 Accepted: 9 Dec 2021 Published: 3 Apr 2022

Academic Editor: Alexander D. Verin Copy Editor: Yue-Yue Zhang Production Editor: Yue-Yue Zhang

This special issue, entitled “Advancements in Cerebral Cavernous Malformations”, contains a collection of
six articles focusing on the theme(s) relevant to the research field of a very common and major
neurovascular disorder, cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs). As a guest editor, I am honored to
summarize this special issue starting with the manuscript “A brief history of cerebral cavernous
malformations: a personal perspective” authored by Rigamonti and Vivas-Buitrago . In their article, they
[1]
summarized the dramatic advancements in the research field of CCMs over the past few decades, with the
highlighted major breakthrough focusing on the molecular and genetic nature of CCMs along with major
technological advancements. This remarkable progress, personally witnessed by the principal investigator,
has been categorized into three categories: pre-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, post-MRI
analysis, and molecular genetics. The history of CCM research reveals profound efforts made in both
clinical and basic science, along with technological innovations and advanced approaches. To tell this
amazingly successful story, no one is more qualified than the senior author of this article, Dr. Rigamonti, a
pioneer for modern CCM research for his revolutionary CCM genetic discoveries published in the New
England Journal of Medicine thirty years ago. Another article, “Unique Contribution of One Patient
Advocacy Organization in Advancing Cerebral Cavernous Malformation Research” was contributed by Dr.
[2]
Lee , the founding President and CEO of the world largest CCM organization, Angioma Alliance. Under
her guidance and leadership, this organization has grown tremendously from its beginnings as a CCM

© The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing,
adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, for any purpose, even commercially, as
long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and
indicate if changes were made.

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