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About the Authors:
Mehdi Mesri
* E-mail: [email protected]
Affiliation: Celera, Alameda, California, United States of America
Charlie Birse
Affiliation: Celera, Alameda, California, United States of America
Jenny Heidbrink
Current address: Current address: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
Affiliation: Celera, Alameda, California, United States of America
Kathy McKinnon
Current address: Current address: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
Affiliation: Celera, Alameda, California, United States of America
Erin Brand
Current address: Current address: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
Affiliation: Celera, Alameda, California, United States of America
Candy Lee Bermingham
Current address: Current address: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
Affiliation: Celera, Alameda, California, United States of America
Brian Feild
Current address: Current address: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
Affiliation: Celera, Alameda, California, United States of America
William FitzHugh
Current address: Current address: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
Affiliation: Celera, Alameda, California, United States of America
Tao He
Current address: Current address: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
Affiliation: Celera, Alameda, California, United States of America
Steve Ruben
Current address: Current address: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
Affiliation: Celera, Alameda, California, United States of America
Paul A. Moore
Current address: Current address: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
Affiliation: Celera, Alameda, California, United States of America
Introduction
Angiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones and is an important natural process occurring in the body, both in health and in disease. Normal physiological angiogenesis occurs in adults during wound healing and endometrial regeneration during the menstrual cycle. However, pathological excessive angiogenesis can also occur in conditions such as in cancer, diabetic blindness, age-related macular degeneration and chronic inflammatory conditions [1]–[3].
It has long been known that the endothelium constituting blood vessels and surrounding stroma in tumors differ from that in normal tissues, but only recently these differences have begun to be characterized at the molecular level [4], [5]. Blocking abnormal blood vessels associated with cancer and other diseases using antiangiogenic agents has become a major therapeutic strategy. Because angiogenesis is required for normal physiological processes, markers that can distinguish physiological and pathological angiogenesis are needed in order to selectively deliver antiangiogenic agents to diseased tissues minimizing the potential side effects.
Target...