Vessels of death or life
RK Jain, PF Carmeliet - Scientific American, 2001 - JSTOR
Scientific American, 2001•JSTOR
New growth of the body's smallest vessels, for instance, enables cancers to enlarge and
spread and contributes to the blindness that can accompany diabetes. Conversely, lack of
small vessel, or capillary, production can contribute to other ills, such as tissue death in
cardiac muscle after a heart attack. Accordingly, we and other scientists are working to
understand the mechanisms that underlie abnormal vessel growth. This effort will help us
develop and optimize drugs that block vessel growth—or improve vessel function. The study …
spread and contributes to the blindness that can accompany diabetes. Conversely, lack of
small vessel, or capillary, production can contribute to other ills, such as tissue death in
cardiac muscle after a heart attack. Accordingly, we and other scientists are working to
understand the mechanisms that underlie abnormal vessel growth. This effort will help us
develop and optimize drugs that block vessel growth—or improve vessel function. The study …
New growth of the body’s smallest vessels, for instance, enables cancers to enlarge and spread and contributes to the blindness that can accompany diabetes. Conversely, lack of small vessel, or capillary, production can contribute to other ills, such as tissue death in cardiac muscle after a heart attack. Accordingly, we and other scientists are working to understand the mechanisms that underlie abnormal vessel growth. This effort will help us develop and optimize drugs that block vessel growth—or improve vessel function.
The study of small vessel growth—a phenomenon referred to generally as angiogenesis—has such potential for providing new therapies that it has been the subject of countless news stories and has received enthusiastic interest from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Indeed, dozens of companies are now pursuing angiogenesis-related therapies, and approximately 20 compounds that either induce or block vessel formation
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