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Angiogenesis

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Cancer

  • 34 Accesses

Synonyms

Formation of new blood vessels; Neovascularization

Definition

Angiogenesis is the formation of new capillary vasculature out of pre-existing blood vessels under the regulation of growth factors and inhibitors. It occurs in physiological (e.g., wound healing, ovulation, placental growth) and pathological (e.g., cancer, arthritis, inflammation) conditions.

Characteristics

The formation of new blood vessels out of pre-existing capillaries, the process that is called angiogenesis, is a sequence of events that is of key importance in a broad array of physiologic and pathologic processes. Normal tissue growth such as in embryonic development, wound healing, and the menstrual cycle is characterized by dependence on new vessel formation for the supply of oxygen and nutrients as well as for removal of waste products. Also, in a large number of different and non-related diseases, formation of new vasculature is involved in abnormal physiology. Among these pathologies are diseases such...

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References

  • Carmeliet P (2005) Angiogenesis in life, disease and medicine. Nature 438:932–936

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  • Folkman J (1971) Tumor angiogenesis: therapeutic implications. N Engl J Med 285:1182–1186

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  • Folkman J (2006) Angiogenesis. Annu Rev Med 57:1–18

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  • Griffioen AW, Molema G (2000) Angiogenesis: potentials for pharmacologic intervention in the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic inflammation. Pharmacol Rev 52:237–268

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Arjan W. Griffioen

Authors
  1. Arjan W. Griffioen
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Correspondence to Arjan W. Griffioen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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Griffioen, A.W. (2015). Angiogenesis. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_274-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_274-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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