A Stochastic Field/Agent Model of Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis is the formation of blood vessels from an existing vessel or a monolayer of endothelial cells. It is crucial during the processes of tissue and organ maintenance, wound healing, and development and also plays a crucial role in tumor growth. An understanding of this process is also critical from a tissue engineering perspective. Several biochemical factors such as VEGF, Angiopoietin I (Ang I), Angiopoietin II (Ang II), PLGF, PDGF, TNF α, TGF β, α-FGF, β-FGF, ENA/VASP [1] and biomechanical factors such as extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness, interstitial flow, shear stress affect the formation of capillaries. While some of them are proangiogenic, others are anti-angiogenic. A balance in these factors is decisive to the characteristics of the capillaries formed.