Therapeutic Strategies Using Inhibitors of Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis, the growth of new capillary blood vessels from preexisting vessels, is a fundamental process that is required for a wide variety of physiologic and pathophysiologic processes (1 ,2 ). Examples of physiologic processes that require angiogenesis include wound healing, tissue repair, reproduction, and growth and development (3 ). Disease states that are associated with malignant angiogenesis include cancer, ophthalmologic disorders such as diabetic retinopathy or macular degeneration, arthritis, psoriasis, and arteriosclerosis (4 ). Leukemia has also been shown to be dependent on angiogenesis (5 ).