Manipulating the Angiogenesis by Inflammation

ABSTRACT

There exists a need to develop strategies that promote neovascularization in virtually all tissue engineering and regenerative medicine efforts. While research typically focuses on understanding and exploiting the role of angiogenic factors and vascular cells on new blood vessel formation, the activity of the immune system is being recognized to impact vascular formation and adaptation. This review will provide both an overview of the relationship of angiogenesis and the immune system, and how biomaterials may be designed to promote favorable angiogenesis by interaction between these 2 systems to promote effective vascularization.