Atherosclerosis in the back yard.

The phenomenon of neovascularization in atherosclerosis has been widely recognized through "the eyes of novel imaging techniques" in recent years. Oxidative stress, inflammation, and hypoxia have been implied as the underlying mechanisms. The pathophysiologic consequences and therapeutic implications of this neovascularization process for atherosclerosis have, however, remained challenging and controversial. In the current focus issue of the Journal, 4 articles and this commentary are devoted to this topic.