Copyright © 2007, European Society of Cardiology
ERK and Smads: Getting together for angiogenic sprouting
Signal Transduction Laboratory, Methodist Research Institute, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Department of Pharmacology Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
*Signal Transduction Laboratory, Methodist Research Institute, Clarian Health Partners, 1800 N. Capitol Blvd, Noyes Bldg, Room E504, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA. Tel.: +1 317 962 6891; fax: +1 317 962 9369. mrizzo@clarian.org
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See article by Zhou et al. [8] (pages 390–399) in this issue.
Sprouting of new blood vessels from preexisting capillaries is a multi-faceted and highly orchestrated process that is dependent on a finely tuned balance between pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic microenvironmental clues [1]. Perturbations in the equilibrium between pro-angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors can lead to excessive or defective vascularization [1,2]. Inputs from the microenvironment impinge upon receptive endothelial cells to initiate a multi-step response characterized by degradation of the basement membrane, sprout formation, proliferation, migration along the sprouts and organization into a tubular network of vascular-like structures that ultimately, with the recruitment