Dear Colleagues,

Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood capillaries form from pre-existing vessels, which occurs in reproduction, growth, and development. Angiogenesis has been implicated, directly or indirectly, in many disorders, among them being cancer, autoimmune diseases, diabetic retinopathy, rheumatoid arthritis, and atherosclerosis. Conversely, insufficient vascularization underlies conditions such as stroke, coronary heart disease, and delayed wound healing, where inadequate blood vessel growth leads to poor circulation and tissue death.

Recent findings have illuminated that angiogenesis is a prominent feature of neurological diseases, either as a pathophysiological factor or as a response to injury. The presence of microvascular changes with decreased density and structural abnormalities has been well documented both in brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Most cases of Alzheimer’s disease are accompanied by cerebrovascular pathologies, such as cerebral amyloid angiopathy, endothelial degeneration, white matter lesions, cerebral haemorrhages, and blood–brain barrier dysfunctions. Different vascular risk factors linked to cerebrovascular diseases and stroke, such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, and cardiac disease, are known to significantly increase the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.

Angiogenesis is a dynamic and complex process regulated by a very sensitive interplay of endogenous growth factors and inhibitors, and their imbalance can lead to disease.

Metal ions play a pivotal role in different steps of angiogenic processes. They may result also in being “pathogenic”, and their mishandling in cells can be associated with multiple diseases. In particular, copper is well known to be an essential angiogenesis cofactor in vivo, and plays a key role in neurodegeneration, together with zinc and iron.

Serum metal ion levels are raised in a wide variety of human cancers, and correlate with the tumour severity. Calcium, magnesium, and zinc may promote metastasis by facilitating angiogenesis.
So far, the specific molecular mechanism of the various metal ions’ involvement and activity targets remain unclear or not fully explored.

This Issue focuses on the biological inorganic chemistry of metal ions in all features of angiogenesis. It aims for a molecular understanding of the functional roles of metals in promoting or inhibiting angiogenesis in wealthy and pathogenic disease states. This research topic covers also the potential application of metal ions in wound healing and tissue regeneration, as well as the analytical determination of metal ions in all steps of vascular formation.

Prof. Dr. Diego La Mendola
Prof. Dr. Maria Letizia Trincavelli
Prof. Dr. Claudia Martini
Guest Editor

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• blood vessels
• metal ions
• angiogenic factors
• trophic factors
• angiogenesis biomarkers
• hypoxia
• tumor growth
• neurodegeneration
• heart diseases
• wound healing