Therapeutic neovascularization: contributions from bioengineering

A number of pathological entities and surgical interventions could benefit from therapeutic stimulation of new blood vessel formation. Although strategies designed for promoting neovascularization have shown promise in preclinical models, translation to human application has met with limited success when angiogenesis is used as the single therapeutic mechanism. While clinical protocols continue to be optimized, a number of exciting new approaches are being developed. Bioengineering has played an important role in the progress of many of these innovative new strategies. In this review, we present a general outline of therapeutic neovascularization, with an emphasis on investigations using engineering principles to address this vexing clinical problem. In addition, we identify some limitations and suggest areas for future research.