VIVA: Pathology - Tissue renewal and repair

Question 1

What is angiogenesis?

Answer 1

The process of blood vessel formation in the adult*

Takes place by two methods:
- Branching and extension of existing vessels
- Recruitment of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs)

• needed to pass + one other

Question 2

Give examples of angiogenesis

Answer 2

2 to pass:
- Wound healing
- Chronic inflammation
- Proliferating endometrium
- Tumours

Question 3

What steps are involved in angiogenesis from pre-existing vessels?

Answer 3

3 needed to pass:
1. Vasodilation
2. Proteolytic degradation of basement membrane
3. Endothelial cells migrate to angiogenic stimuli
4. Maturation
5. Capillary formation
6. Recruitment of peri-endothelial cells for support structure formation
7. Inhibitors such as endostatin are released by proteinases (this is a small fragment of collagen that inhibits endothelial proliferation and also angiogenesis)