Angiogenesis Review Commentary

Excerpt

The authors of this erudite paper are to be congratulated on a beautifully written paper on the origins and conception of the neologism “angiogenesis”; the paper is particularly enjoyable to read as it attempts to uncover the truth behind who legitimately coined “angiogenesis” [1]. Notably, the paper highlights the seminal contributions of surgeon-scientists to the field. For example, the legendary Scottish surgeon-scientist, Dr. John Hunter, made the initial observation of blood vessel formation. The authors confirm that Dr. Hunter observed the growth of blood vessels in deer antlers. In addition, he was the first to notice the capacity of the circulatory system for self-repair and expansion; he observed that vessels “would appear to have more powers of perfecting themselves, when injured, than any other part of the body; for their use is almost immediate and constant, and it is they which perform the operation of restoration on the other parts, therefore they themselves must first be perfect” [2]. This single observation would serve to birth the field of angiogenesis. …