The vasculature, what is it? -- Historical consideration -- The vasculature in evolution -- Where it all began -- Culture of vascular cells in vitro -- The discovery of the first stimulating factors of blood vessels -- Vascular Endothelial growth factor (VEGF) : the cornerstone of angiogenesis stimulators -- Inhibition of angiogenesis "successes and deceptions" -- Stimulating angiogenesis -- The story is more complicated than anticipated -- How to study angiogenesis -- Lymphangiogenesis joins in -- Endothelial progenitors and stem cells -- The neuronal connection -- Vascular targeting and vessel destruction ("Vascular targeting") -- What future for angiogenesis? -- Philosophical aspect of the vascular tree -- Concluding remarks.

This book provides a comprehensive account of vascular biology and pathology and its significance for health and disease. It systematically and chronologically explains how we came to our current understanding of the vasculature and it´s  function today, and describes in an entertaining way the diverse flaws and turns in science and medicine from the past. It thereby offers a complete and well-studied history on vascular biology and medicine.  The book has an easy-to-read style and is written for students as well as scientists, physicians and lecturers in the field of biomedicine, human physiology, cardiology and hematology.