Angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels out of pre-existing 
capillaries, is a sequence of events that is fundamental to many physiologic and 
pathologic processes such as cancer, ischemic diseases, and chronic 
inflammation. With the identification of several proangiogenic molecules such as 
the vascular endothelial cell growth factor, the fibroblast growth factors (like 
in FGFs), and the angiopoietins, and the recent description of specific 
inhibitors of angiogenesis such as platelet factor-4, angiostatin, endostatin, 
and vasostatin, it is recognized that therapeutic interference with vasculature 
formation offers a tool for clinical applications in various pathologies. 
Whereas inhibition of angiogenesis can prevent diseases with excessive vessel 
growth such as cancer, diabetes retinopathy, and arthritis, stimulation of 
angiogenesis would be beneficial in the treatment of diseases such as coronary 
artery disease and critical limb ischemia in diabetes. In this review we 
highlight the current knowledge on angiogenesis regulation and report on the 
recent findings in angiogenesis research and clinical studies. We also discuss 
the potentials, limitations, and challenges within this field of research, in 
light of the development of new therapeutic strategies for diseases in which 
angiogenesis plays an important role.