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Two critical events in the development of the vascular system: pruning and remodeling

Domenico Ribatti1

  • 1Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. domenico.ribatti@uniba.it.

Clinical and Experimental Medicine
|May 28, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Embryonic cardiovascular development involves forming blood vessels via vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. This is followed by essential pruning and remodeling, where some vessels stabilize and others regress during organogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Cardiovascular science
  • Embryology

Background:

  • The cardiovascular system is the first functional organ system to develop in vertebrate embryos.
  • Primitive heart and vascular plexus formation occur through vasculogenesis and angiogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe common pruning and remodeling processes in cardiovascular development.
  • To detail these processes during organogenesis in experimental and human systems.

Main Methods:

  • Review of established literature on embryonic cardiovascular development.
  • Analysis of common pruning and remodeling forms observed during organogenesis.

Main Results:

  • Vasculogenesis and angiogenesis establish the initial vascular network.
  • Post-formation, vascular networks undergo significant pruning and remodeling.
  • Some vascular branches stabilize, while others regress, shaping the final cardiovascular system.

Conclusions:

  • Pruning and remodeling are critical, highly regulated processes in cardiovascular organogenesis.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is vital for studying congenital heart defects and vascular diseases.

Keywords:
AngiogenesisPruningRemodelingVasculogenesis

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