The growth of new blood vessels plays an important role in normal development and cancer progression. This new edition updates our understanding of the processes involved New blood vessels arise through a process known as angiogenesis, in which endothelial cells proliferate and sprout to form new vessels. Angiogenesis is vital for embryonic development, patterning of the vascular system, and wound healing. Vascular dysfunction contributes to a host of pathological conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and lymphedema.

Written and edited by experts in the field, this new collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine provides an overview of recent progress in our understanding of the causal mechanisms essential for angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in normal physiology and disease. The contributors review how the behavior of endothelial cells is controlled and discuss the regulatory roles of signaling molecules such as vascular endothelial growth factor, Notch, Wnt, VE-cadherin, and epsins. Vascular inflammation, immune cell trafficking, lipid metabolism, microRNAs, and the microbiome are also covered in the context of homeostasis and vasculature-related pathological conditions.

Including discussions of vascular permeability and lymphatic drainage as well as interactions between the vascular system and smooth muscle cells, the blood-brain barrier, and the immune system, this volume is a vital reference for developmental and vascular biologists as well as anyone seeking to understand the biology and pathology underlying vasculature-dependent diseases.