[The story of angiostatin and how controversy is useful in science]

Angiogenesis is the formation of new capillary blood vessels. It has a very important role not only in physiological conditions but also in the process of malignant human growth. Latest data suggesting that drugs inhibiting angiogenesis can stop the growth of malignant tumors have made the research on tumorous angiogenesis a hot topic recently. The pioneers in the field of angiogenesis, Judah Folkman and his team, have been challenged ever since they began the research. Several articles questioned the effectiveness of systemic gene therapy with anglostatin as an anticancer treatment in a mouse model of transduced hematopoletic stem cells. In a recent issue of Nature Medicine, Folkman has elegantly answered all the difficult questions of his criticizers showing impressively how criticism and controversies in scientific work represent the main generator of new ideas.