Research report 2013 - Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine

How differences in blood flow influence blood vessel network formation

Authors
Siekmann, Arndt
Departments
Laboratory for Cardiovascular Patterning
Summary
Our heart pumps blood through an interconnected network of tubules to all parts of our body. This is important for the optimal availability of oxygen to every organ. How does the vasculature ensure the optimal connectivity between blood vessels? Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine show that differences in blood flow can control the proper sprouting and pruning of blood vessels. These discoveries could provide answers to the question why in certain disease settings, blood is not delivered efficiently.

For the full text, see the German version.

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