Purification and biological activities of an angiogenesis factor from human placenta

Several crude angiogenesis preparations, as well as a purified angiogenesis factor from human placenta, were tested for their ability to stimulate the production of plasminogen activator (PA) and collagenase activities, motility, chemotaxis, DNA synthesis and clonal growth in cultured endothelial cells. Treatment of capillary endothelial cells resulted in a stimulation of all the above activities, whereas endothelial cells derived from large vessels did not respond. These cellular activities are postulated to be responsible for capillary growth in vivo.