ABSTRACT
The field of vascular biology has grown extensively over the past decade, due in part to the realization of the importance that neovascularization plays in both normal as well as pathological processes. Elegant studies in the field of vascular biology have revealed two general biological mechanisms by which new blood vessels form. The first is called vasculogenesis and is the process by which functional blood vessels develop from precursor cells called angioblasts (1,2). The second mechanism is called angiogenesis and is the process by which new blood vessels sprout from preexisting vessels (3,4). We will not discuss vasculogenesis, but instead, focus on angiogenesis. In particular, we will discuss the expanding body of work that demonstrates unique molecular cooperation between distinct families of molecules that regulate neovascularization.
