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Published on: November 2, 2016
Angiogenesis: a link to thrombosis in athero-thrombotic disease
1Center for Transgene Technology and Gene Therapy, Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology, University of Leuven, Belgium. ed.conway@med.kuleuven.ac.be
Insights
Atherosclerosis leads to thrombosis, causing heart attacks and strokes. Angiogenesis, or new blood vessel growth, in plaques promotes this, presenting a challenge for treatment despite efforts to improve vascular function.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Vascular Biology
- Thrombosis and Hemostasis
Background:
- Atherosclerosis is understood to cause acute coronary syndromes, peripheral artery disease, and stroke primarily through thrombosis.
- Current therapeutic strategies focus on inhibiting thrombin and fibrin formation to manage atherothrombotic events.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of angiogenesis in the development and progression of atherothrombosis.
- To understand the clinical implications of plaque angiogenesis in the context of existing treatment paradigms.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent studies investigating the relationship between angiogenesis and atherothrombosis.
- Analysis of the challenges in treating atherothrombotic disease given new insights into plaque biology.
Main Results:
- Recent findings highlight angiogenesis of the atherosclerotic plaque as a key factor promoting atherothrombosis.
- This contrasts with therapeutic efforts aimed at enhancing vascular function using angiogenic agents.
Conclusions:
- Angiogenesis within atherosclerotic plaques plays a critical role in atherothrombosis.
- The dual role of angiogenesis presents a significant therapeutic challenge in managing cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke.
Abstract:
New insights to explain the clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis have resulted in a paradigm in which thrombosis is the major cause of acute coronary syndromes, peripheral arterio-vascular disease and stroke. Major efforts have been directed toward developing drugs to reduce thrombin and fibrin formation. Recent studies support a central role for angiogenesis of the atherosclerotic plaque in promoting atherothrombosis. The findings, in the face of efforts to use angiogenic agents to enhance vascular function, underline the challenge in treating atherothrombotic disease.
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