CellSperse

Angiogenesis is the tightly regulated process by which new blood vessels are formed from the existing vasculature. This process is physiologically important for development and wound healing, and is also a common driver in multiple diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, macular degeneration, and cancer. Angiogenesis occurs in response to a variety of molecular cues. Generally, the angiogenic process includes endothelial cell proliferation, chemotactic endothelial cell migration through the extracellular matrix barrier, and the formation of capillary tubes. Physiological and pathological angiogenesis utilize many of the same cellular processes and molecular signaling networks, however the structures that form during pathological angiogenesis are often functionally abnormal.