Why do tumors need angiogenesis?

Solid tumors need their own blood supply to grow larger than a few millimeters. They release chemical signals, or prompt nearby cells to release them, which cause new vessels to grow toward the tumor. These vessels bring oxygen and nutrients, letting the tumor grow, invade nearby tissue and spread to other organs. Judah Folkman proposed in 1971 that blocking this process could be a cancer treatment.

What is VEGF and what does it do in angiogenesis?

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a signaling protein. Its main form, VEGF-A, is the principal signal that switches angiogenesis on. Cells that are short of oxygen release it, and it draws new vessels toward the tissue that needs them. Losing half of normal VEGF-A is fatal to the embryo. Drugs that block VEGF, such as bevacizumab and anti-VEGF eye injections, are used in some cancers and in wet macular degeneration.

Do stem cells improve fat graft survival through angiogenesis?

This is a hypothesis, not a proven mechanism. Researchers behind cell-assisted lipotransfer proposed that adipose-derived stromal cells may help new vessels grow into the graft. They might do this by turning into endothelial cells or by releasing growth factors. Some clinical studies report better volume retention with cell-enriched grafts. However, the studies vary widely in their methods, and the evidence on how vessels form in the graft is limited.

What are the side effects of angiogenesis inhibitors?

NCI lists these common side effects of angiogenesis inhibitors: bleeding, clots in the arteries, high blood pressure, slow wound healing and protein in the urine. Drugs that target VEGF receptors can also cause fatigue, diarrhea, thyroid problems and hand-foot syndrome. Rare but serious problems include tears in the gut wall and fistulas. For bevacizumab, reported rates of high blood pressure range from 19% to 42%.

Angiogenesis

别名: 혈관신생

发布 2026年9月14日更新 2026年9月20日

What is the difference between angiogenesis and vasculogenesis?

Angiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels from vessels that already exist, driven mainly by the endothelial cells that line them. It continues throughout life. Vasculogenesis is how the embryo first builds blood vessels from scratch, using precursor cells called angioblasts that develop from mesodermal stem cells. In short, vasculogenesis lays down the first network, and angiogenesis expands and remodels it.

已验证 2026年9月18日

关键事实

属性	值	来源
Distinguished from	Vasculogenesis: new vessels formed from angioblasts during embryonic development, not grown from existing vessels	[2]
Main types	Sprouting angiogenesis and intussusceptive (splitting) angiogenesis	[2]
Key regulator	VEGF-A is the main factor that triggers sprouting when tissue lacks oxygen; Delta-Notch signalling determines which cells become tip cells and which become stalk cells	[2]
Seminal publication	Folkman J. Tumor angiogenesis: therapeutic implications. N Engl J Med 1971;285(21):1182–1186	[3]
First US-approved angiogenesis inhibitor	Bevacizumab (Avastin), an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody, approved by the FDA for first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer截至 2004年2月26日	[4]
Eye disease link	In wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow in the back of the eye and damage the macula; it is treated with anti-VEGF injections	[5]
Therapeutic directions	Stimulating angiogenesis is studied for ischemic heart disease and wound healing; inhibiting it is used in cancer and eye disease	[2]
Evidence in cell-assisted fat grafting	Meta-analysis of 15 studies (634 patients): cell-enriched grafts had higher retention, but results varied extremely between studies (I² = 97%) and breast grafts showed no significant benefit截至 2026年1月1日	[6]
Evidence for the angiogenesis mechanism in grafts	Histology did not show higher vessel density in enriched grafts; the authors suggest the benefit may come from signalling molecules released by the cells (a paracrine effect)	[6]
Growth of research literature	About 2 manuscripts in 1970; more than 5,200 articles in 2009 publications per year截至 2009年12月31日	[2]
Definition (NCI)	Blood vessel formation	[1]

属性

值

来源

Distinguished from

Vasculogenesis: new vessels formed from angioblasts during embryonic development, not grown from existing vessels

[2]

Main types

Sprouting angiogenesis and intussusceptive (splitting) angiogenesis

[2]

Key regulator

VEGF-A is the main factor that triggers sprouting when tissue lacks oxygen; Delta-Notch signalling determines which cells become tip cells and which become stalk cells

[2]

Seminal publication

Folkman J. Tumor angiogenesis: therapeutic implications. N Engl J Med 1971;285(21):1182–1186

[3]

First US-approved angiogenesis inhibitor

Bevacizumab (Avastin), an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody, approved by the FDA for first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer截至 2004年2月26日

[4]

Eye disease link

In wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow in the back of the eye and damage the macula; it is treated with anti-VEGF injections

[5]

Therapeutic directions

Stimulating angiogenesis is studied for ischemic heart disease and wound healing; inhibiting it is used in cancer and eye disease

[2]

Evidence in cell-assisted fat grafting

Meta-analysis of 15 studies (634 patients): cell-enriched grafts had higher retention, but results varied extremely between studies (I² = 97%) and breast grafts showed no significant benefit截至 2026年1月1日

[6]

Evidence for the angiogenesis mechanism in grafts

Histology did not show higher vessel density in enriched grafts; the authors suggest the benefit may come from signalling molecules released by the cells (a paracrine effect)

[6]

Growth of research literature

About 2 manuscripts in 1970; more than 5,200 articles in 2009 publications per year截至 2009年12月31日

[2]

Definition (NCI)

Blood vessel formation

[1]

概述

Angiogenesis (Korean: 혈관신생) is the growth of new blood vessels, mainly capillaries, from vessels that already exist. It is different from vasculogenesis, which is the formation of new vessels from angioblast precursor cells in the embryo. There are two main types. In sprouting angiogenesis, endothelial tip cells grow toward signals such as VEGF-A. In intussusceptive (splitting) angiogenesis, an existing vessel divides in two. Angiogenesis takes place from fetal development through adult life, including in wound healing. It also feeds tumour growth and causes the abnormal vessels of wet age-related macular degeneration. Drugs that block VEGF, such as bevacizumab, are approved to inhibit it. In cell-assisted fat grafting, stromal cells are thought to support blood vessel growth in the graft. Clinical results vary widely between studies, and this mechanism has not been confirmed. Readers should check each study's design, graft site and follow-up time.

What is the difference between angiogenesis and vasculogenesis?

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