title: Manipulating the microvasculature and its microenvironment.
abstract: The microvasculature is a dynamic cellular system necessary for tissue health and function. Therapeutic strategies that target the microvasculature are expanding and evolving, including those promoting angiogenesis and microvascular expansion. When considering how to manipulate angiogenesis, either as part of a tissue construction approach or a therapy to improve tissue blood flow, it is important to know the microenvironmental factors that regulate and direct neovessel sprouting and growth. Much is known concerning both diffusible and matrix-bound angiogenic factors, which stimulate and guide angiogenic activity. How the other aspects of the extravascular microenvironment, including tissue biomechanics and structure, influence new vessel formation is less well known. Recent research, however, is providing new insights into these mechanisms and demonstrating that the extent and character of angiogenesis (and the resulting new microcirculation) is significantly affected. These observations and the resulting implications with respect to tissue construction and microvascular therapy are addressed.
authors.affiliation: Georgia Institute of Technology.
authors.forename: Laxminarayanan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Innovation Institute, Louisville, KY.
authors.forename: Carlos C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sara S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Innovation Institute, Louisville, KY.
authors.forename: Stuart K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Innovation Institute, Louisville, KY.
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hoying
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060833:Cellular Microenvironment / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology*; D055806:Microvessels / Q000502:physiology*; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology*