Interactions of Bartonella henselae with vascular endothelial cells

The emerging human pathogen Bartonella henselae has the remarkable capacity to colonise vascular tissues and to stimulate vasoproliferative tumour growth. Although the molecular principle of bacterium-induced neovascularisation (angiogenesis) is still unclear, recent studies have indicated a novel mechanism of endothelial colonisation that involves the formation, engulfment and uptake of a large bacterial aggregate.