Molecular mechanisms of blood vessel growth

The basic molecular mechanisms governing how endothelial cells, peri-endothelial cells and matrix molecules interact with each other and with numerous growth factors and receptors, to form blood vessels have been presented. The many insights gained from this basic knowledge are being extended to further understand pathological angiogenesis associated with disorders such as arterial stenosis, myocardial ischemia, atherosclerosis, allograft transplant stenosis, wound healing and tissue repair. As a result, novel angiogenic and anti-angiogenic molecules are rapidly entering the clinic, with the promise of relief from a host of medical disorders.