title: [Angiogenesis].
abstract: Angiogenesis, the budding of new vessels from the preexistant capillaries and postcapillary venules, is an important biological phenomenon during reproduction, embryogenesis, and reparation. The sequence of events during angiogenesis includes the proteolysis of basement membranes and extracellular matrix, proliferation, migration and alignment of vascular endothelial cells, and the union of two buds into a vascular loop along the lines of traction and tesselation in the extracellular matrix. This change of phenotype seems to be necessary for the growth of many tumours, and for the enlargement of "dormant" metastases. It is influenced by a change of equilibrium between positive and negative regulators of angiogenesis, largely a family of angiogenic peptides with the affinity for heparin (that may be bond in an inactive state within basement membranes and activated by any lesion) on one side, and circulating suppressors of angiogenesis and tumour growth, thrombospondin and angiostatin, on the other side. Clinical evaluation of some of the two dozen known angioinhibitors for the treatment of age-related maculopathy, certain tumours, metastases and malignang ascites, is underway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Belgrade University.
authors.forename: Lj
authors.initials: Lj
authors.lastname: Nikolić
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*
vernacular_title: Angiogeneza.