A Brief History of Blood and Lymphatic Vessels

Andreas Bikfalvi University of Bordeaux and National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) Angiogenesis and Tumor Microenvironment Laboratory (LAMC - INSERM U1029) Pessac, France

The vasculature, what is it?.- Historical consideration.- The vasculature in evolution.- Where it all began.- Culture of vascular cells in vitro.- The discovery of the first stimulating factors of blood vessels.- Vascular Endothelial growth factor (VEGF) : the cornerstone of angiogenesis stimulators.- Inhibition of angiogenesis "successes and deceptions".- Stimulating angiogenesis.- The story is more complicated than anticipated.- How to study angiogenesis.- Lymphangiogenesis joins in.- Endothelial progenitors and stem cells.- The neuronal connection.- Vascular targeting and vessel destruction ("Vascular targeting").- What future for angiogenesis?.- Philosophical aspect of the vascular tree.- Concluding remarks.