Angioadaptation: keeping the vascular system in shape.

The development and maintenance of the vascular system requires not only the formation of new vessels (vasculogenesis, angiogenesis) but also the continuous adjustment of vessel and network structures in response to functional needs. This "angioadaptation" depends on the interplay of vascular responses to growth factors, to the metabolic status of the tissue, and to hemodynamic forces exerted by the flowing blood.