Endothelial angiogenesis pathway

The endothelial angiogenesis pathway is a complex biological process involving multiple signaling cascades that regulate the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones (PMID: 22539260). The primary driver is the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) signaling system, which includes ligands like VEGF-A and receptors such as VEGFR-2, which promote endothelial cell proliferation and migration (PMID: 19147326). Other critical components include the Notch signaling pathway, which coordinates the selection of tip and stalk cells during sprout formation, and the Angiopoietin-Tie2 system, which maintains vascular stability (PMID: 21460830, PMID: 23913113). In pathological conditions like cancer, these pathways are overexpressed to facilitate tumor growth and metastasis, while in ocular diseases, they lead to vision loss through abnormal vessel leakage (PMID: 24670655). Therapeutic strategies targeting this pathway include monoclonal antibodies like bevacizumab and tyrosine kinase inhibitors like sunitinib, which aim to inhibit pro-angiogenic signaling and normalize or reduce vascular density (NIH, PubChem). These interventions are widely used in oncology and ophthalmology but are associated with systemic side effects such as hypertension and impaired wound healing due to the physiological role of angiogenesis in normal tissue maintenance (PMID: 17016476).

Other names

Angiogenic signalingNeovascularization pathwaysVEGF signaling cascadeVascular development pathways

Inhibition of pro-angiogenic signaling through ligand sequestration, competitive receptor binding, or inhibition of intracellular tyrosine kinase domains.