'Angio', from the Greek word 'angeio' meaning blood vessel, and 'genesis' meaning production or birth, together refer to the creation of blood vessels within the body. Angiogenesis is a beneficial natural process occurring during the healing of a tissue injury (like internal or external wounds) or in response to other kinds of tissue offense. It occurs in women during both the monthly reproductive cycle and during pregnancy. Alternatively, angiogenesis can exist as part of a diseased body where it can aid in cases of ischemia or lead to disease in the promotion of tumors. During normal function, the body controls the growth of blood vessels using stimulators called growth-factors. These promote the production of blood vessels, whereas inhibitors stop their creation.

A clogged coronary artery can cause cardiac ischemia.

When the body creates new blood vessels, it can supply a region with more blood than it would otherwise get. This could potentially be very significant for providing a new blood supply to otherwise ischemic tissue. For this reason, many people who suffer from cardiac ischemia, a potentially life threatening disease, could significantly benefit from the growth of new blood vessels to the heart.

The heart is the only muscle in the body that is used continuously and never tires. To accomplish this, the heart requires a significant amount of blood to supply the necessary oxygen and nutrients - in fact the heart requires 10% of the body's blood supply to keep it running healthy. Because the heart is responsible for supplying the brain and the rest of the body with blood, failure of its function will ultimately lead to death.

About one half of the United States population over fifty has a form of coronary artery disease. The coronary artery is the blood vessel responsible for delivering blood to the heart. Coronary artery disease usually occurs from plaque build up on the inside wall of the coronary artery and restricts blood flow to the heart. This can cause necrosis of heart muscle tissue. For this reason, there are a number of techniques developed to repair and replace important blocked vessels. Other significant ailments of blood vessels include (but are not limited to) the hardening of arteries (arteriosclerosis), blood clot in vessel blocking circulation (thrombosis), and ballooning of the blood vessel due to weakened wall (aneurysm).

Coronary Arterial Bypass Graft Survival Rate

The most frequent application of open heart surgery is bypass (about 1 million per year), in which surgeons actually remove a section of a blocked blood vessel integral to the function of the heart and replace its function with another blood vessel. Coronary artery bypass graft is the 1/8th most common surgery in the US. This surgery is used to replace the function of the coronary artery by attaching a replacement artery (usually harvested from patient's leg or mammary arteries) above and below the location of blockage in the coronary artery.

The purpose of all these treatments is to provide better blood flow to critical regions, and that is where angiogenesis can provide an alternative option. If a patient could grow new, healthy blood vessels to regions where blood flow is restricted he or she could avoid invasive and sometimes high risk surgeries.