Cellular Mechanical Forces May Initiate Angiogenesis
Monday, April 26, 2010 - 12:31
in Health & Medicine
Pericytes, cells surrounding capillaries, may use mechanical forces to initiate blood vessel "sprouting" called angiogenesis, according to researchers at Tufts and MIT. The researchers are among the first to examine how mechanical signaling by pericytes is related to angiogenesis, which contributes to the progression of cancer, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration.