Angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels from the
existing vasculature, is essential for physiological growth and
over 18, 000 research articles have been published describing the
role of angiogenesis in over 70 different diseases, including
cancer, diabetic retinopathy, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.
One of the most important technical challenges in such studies has
been finding suitable methods for assessing the effects of
regulators of eh angiogenic response. While increasing numbers of
angiogenesis assays are being described both in vitro and in vivo,
it is often still necessary to use a combination of assays to
identify the cellular and molecular events in angiogenesis and the
full range of effects of a given test protein. Although the
endothelial cell - its migration, proliferation, differentiation
and structural rearrangement - is central to the angiogenic
process, it is not the only cell type involved. the supporting
cells, the extracellular matrix and the circulating blood with its
cellular and humoral components also contribute.
In this book, experts in the use of a diverse range of assays
outline key components of these and give a critical appraisal of
their strengths and weaknesses. Examples include assays for the
proliferation, migration and differentiation of endothelial cells
in vitro, vessel outgrowth from organ cultures, assessment of
endothelial and mural cell interactions, and such in vivo assays as
the chick chorioallantoic membrane, zebrafish, corneal, chamber and
tumour angiogenesis models. These are followed by a critical
analysis of the biological end-points currently being used in
clinical trials to assess the clinical efficacy of anti-angiogenic
drugs, which leads into a discussion of the direction future
studies should take.
This valuable book is of interest to research scientists
currently working on angiogenesis in both the academic community
and in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Relevant
disciplines include cell and molecular biology, oncology,
cardiovascular research, biotechnology, pharmacology, pathology and
physiology.
