doi: 10.1161/01.ATV.0000187471.06942.17
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.
Brief Reviews |
ATVB in Focus
Novel Mediators and Mechanisms in Angiogenesis and Vasculogenesis
From Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine IV, University of Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Germany
Correspondence to Stefanie Dimmeler, Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine IV, University of Frankfurt, Theodor Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Germany. E-mail Dimmeler@em.uni-frankfurt.de
An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract. |
This issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology marks the beginning of a series of review articles addressing recent advances in our understanding of new blood vessel formation. The goal of this review series is to highlight novel mechanisms involved in blood vessel growth. Blood vessel growth is mediated by angiogenesis, which is defined as the new blood vessel growth out of existing vessels, as well as by vasculogenesis. In contrast to angiogenesis, vasculogenesis refers to the contribution of circulating blood–derived cells to adult neovascularization and is also implicated in embryonic vessel development. Angiogenesis and vasculogenesis are regulated by a complex network of mediators and cellular interactions. Although intensively investigated during the last decades, various novel findings have emerged.
See page 2246
In the area of angiogenesis, leaders in the field will summarize the novel transcriptional integrators modulating endothelial cell responses as well as vessel maturation (Figure). Particularly, vessel maturation is critical to gain functionally intact vessels to recover blood supply after ischemia. Of equal importance is the communication of vascular cells with each other and with the extracellular matrix. Particularly, cadherins play a major role to mediate cell-to-cell communication. Proteases have initially been viewed as matrix-degrading enzymes responsible for migration and invasion activity of vascular cells. However, protease-mediated degradation of extracellular matrix proteins or surface receptors is also of major importance for the generation of angiogenesis-regulating molecules and signaling. Finally, a review article will summarize the molecular basis for oxygen-sensing and the mechanisms regulating the response of
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Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2005 25: 2246-2254.