Junctional adhesion molecules in angiogenesis.

The process of new blood vessel formation from pre-existing vessels is known as angiogenesis. This process is important, both during physiological processes such as development and during wound healing, as well as during pathological processes, such as cancer and arthritis. Understanding the molecular mechanism of the regulation of angiogenesis and the identification of the key players involved in this process may help identify new therapeutic targets to combat and control angiogenesis and hence arthritis and cancer. This review focuses on a recently identified novel cell adhesion molecule, Junctional Adhesion Molecule A, and its role in the process of regulating angiogenesis.