The vasohibin family: Novel regulators of angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis is thought to be regulated by the local balance between angiogenesis stimulators and angiogenesis inhibitors. A number of endogenous regulators of angiogenesis have been found in the body. We recently isolated vasohibin-1 (VASH1) as a negative feedback regulator of angiogenesis produced by endothelial cells, and VASH2 as a homologue of VASH1 thereafter. We found that VASH1 was expressed in endothelial cells to terminate angiogenesis, whereas VASH2 promoted angiogenesis, in the mouse model of angiogenesis. This mini-review will focus on the vasohibin family in relation to the regulation of angiogenesis.