The Body's Control of Angiogenesis Angiogenesis occurs in the healthy body for healing wounds and for restoring blood flow to tissues after injury or insult. When inhibitors are present in excess of stimulators, angiogenesis is stopped. The normal, healthy body maintains a perfect balance of angiogenesis modulators.
Angiogenesis inhibitors are natural molecules present in tissues that halt the angiogenic process.
In many serious diseases states, the body loses control over angiogenesis. Angiogenesis-dependent diseases result when new blood vessels either grow excessively or insufficiently. Occurs in diseases such as cancer, diabetic blindness, age-related macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis, and more than 70 other conditions. Excessive angiogenesis occurs when diseased cells produce abnormal amounts of angiogenic growth factors, overwhelming the effects of natural angiogenesis inhibitors. Antiangiogenic therapies, aimed at halting new blood vessel growth, are being developed to treat these conditions.