ABSTRACT
CONTENTS 9.1 Introduction 220 9.2Anatomy of the Cardiovascular System220 9.3Physiology of Blood Vessels and Microvascular Remodeling222
9.3.1Vascular Growth and Remodeling222 9.3.1.1Neovascularization222 9.3.1.2Angiogenesis 223 9.3.1.3Arteriogenesis 225 9.3.1.4Regression 225
9.3.2Molecular Regulation of Angiogenesis226 9.3.3Mechanisms of Structural Remodeling227
9.3.3.1Extracellular Matrix227 9.3.3.2Hypoxia228 9.3.3.3Hydrodynamic Shear228
9.4Clinically Driven Strategies for Vascularization228 9.4.1Tissue-Engineered Constructs 228 9.4.2Revascularization of Ischemic Tissue 230
9.5Stem Cells in Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine230 9.5.1Stem and Progenitor Cells231
9.5.1.1Adult Stem Cells232 9.5.1.2Progenitor Cells 234 9.5.1.3Recovery of Heart Tissue a§er Ischemia with Stem and
Progenitor Cells235 9.6Quantitative Assays of Angiogenesis235
220
9.1 INTRODUCTION Pathologies of the cardiovascular system are becoming more pervasive as the world’s population ages, highlighting the downfalls of current treatment practices and encouraging the search for regenerative medicine solutions. …e World Health Organization’s fact sheet (www.who.int) lists cardiovascular diseases as the number one cause of death globally, with 17.1 million people dying from cardiovascular diseases in 2004. Cardiovascular diseases are expected to remain the leading cause of death through at least 2030, underscoring the need for the development of new technologies and approaches to meet the global demand.
