However, unlike anti-angiogenic drug candidates, none of these molecules have translated well into the clinic and, therefore, it is of great interest to identify and explore more compounds with pro-angiogenic activity. Only a limited number of pro-angiogenic molecules have been studied in clinical settings, including erythropoietin (EPO), β-carotene, nicotine, ferulic acid, stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) and VEGF. Pro-angiogenic drugs have the potential to aid in treating diseases and conditions where the formation of new blood vessels is needed as, for example, in wound healing, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Although receiving less attention, the possibility of using pro-angiogenic molecules as therapeutic agents has recently emerged. Excessive angiogenesis is associated with cancer, psoriasis, age-related macular degeneration and arthritis and this has fostered the isolation, identification and testing of an extensive range of anti-angiogenic molecules in clinical trials.
Excessive or insufficient angiogenesis is associated with major classes of chronic disease. The formation of new capillaries from pre-existing vascular networks (angiogenesis) is a tightly controlled process in adult mammals.
