Adenosine in tissue protection and tissue regeneration.

Adenosine promotes tissue protection and repair through four general modes of action: increased oxygen supply/demand ratio, preconditioning, anti-inflammatory effects, and stimulation of angiogenesis. A novel means by which adenosine stimulates angiogenesis is the topic of the article by Desai et al. in the April 2005 issue of Molecular Pharmacology. The report demonstrates that agonists of A2A adenosine receptors inhibit the release of the anti-angiogenic factor thrombospondin 1. Multiple cell types and all four adenosine receptors participate in these responses. Exploiting these effects of adenosine has great therapeutic potential.