Abstract
Pathological angiogenesis contributes to tumour progression as well as to chronic inflammatory diseases. In this issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine, Esteban and co-workers identify endothelial cell MT1-MMP as a key regulator of intussusceptive angiogenesis (IA) in inflammatory colitis. Thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) cleavage by MT1-MMP results in the binding of the c-terminal fragment of TSP1 to αvβ3 integrin, which induces nitric oxide (NO) production, vasodilation and further initiation of IA. This novel control mechanism of inflammatory IA points towards promising new therapeutic targets for inflammatory bowel disease.
Highlights
Pathological angiogenesis contributes to tumour progression as well as to chronic inflammatory diseases
Sprouting angiogenesis, where blood vessel endothelial cells locally proliferate, bud and form branching vessels off a main vessel, is an invasive process initiated by multiple matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)
Blood flow dynamics appear to be crucial in shaping this process, and neither pillar formation nor intussusceptive angiogenesis (IA) itself appear to be invasive processes (Paku et al, 2011)
Summary
Pathological angiogenesis contributes to tumour progression as well as to chronic inflammatory diseases. Angiogenesis, the formation and growth of blood vessels, plays an important role in normal development and ischaemic diseases. Increasing evidence supports the existence of different mechanisms of blood vessel growth, including sprouting and intussusceptive angiogenesis (IA).
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