ABSTRACT
Arterial occlusion causes hypoxia or ischemia that is the principal natural stimuli for endogenous angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is an adaptation to hypoxia and/or ischemia, providing increased perfusion and oxygenation through new vessel growth. There are no widely available biomarkers or imaging approaches that permit the detection of angiogenesis or allow the selection of patients that are likely to respond to angiogenic therapy. Therefore, noninvasive imaging strategies will be critical for defining the temporal characteristics of angiogenesis, defining those patients that are more likely to respond to therapy, and assessing efficacy of these angiogenic therapies. The goal of therapeutic angiogenesis in management of ischemic disease is to stimulate new blood vessel growth and thereby improve perfusion, tissue oxygenation, substrate exchange, and function. The process of therapeutic angiogenesis involves growth and differentiation of new vasculature capable of restoring blood supply to the ischemic tissue.
