Angiostatic Activity of the Novel Rho Kinase Inhibitor AMA0428

Angiogenesis is the sprouting of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones. In physiological circumstances, angiogenesis is an essential process during development and wound repair. However, when dysregulated and persistent, angiogenesis can be a causal factor in a number of pathologies. Abnormal angiogenesis or endothelial cell function is involved in cancer, ischemic and inflammatory diseases. Therefore, angiogenesis is a tightly regulated process which includes endothelial cell proliferation, selective degradation of the basement membrane and the surrounding extracellular matrix, endothelial cell migration, and the formation of a tubular structure. Increased vascular permeability and cytoskeletal changes in endothelial cells lead to the disruption of endothelial cell junctions and therefore increased vascular permeability. A balance between proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors controls the formation of new vessels. One of the most important proangiogenic factors is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)1 .