Lung Vasculogenesis and Angiogenesis

Abstract

The pulmonary vasculature remains the poor cousin of lung development. Evidence has challenged old notions that the development of blood vessels in the lung passively follows that of the airways. Rather, lung blood vessels actively promote alveolar growth during development and contribute to the maintenance of alveolar structures throughout postnatal life. These observations may be relevant for lung diseases characterized by arrested alveolar growth or loss of alveoli. This review summarizes the role of angiogenic growth factors during normal alveolar development, injury, and repair and identifies gaps in our understanding of lung vasculogenesis and angiogenesis.