| Sprouting angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels grow from existing ones. This process occurs extensively at different stages in higher organism¢s life, for example during embryonic growth, inflammation, wound healing and solid tumour development. In this work we implement a phase field model to describe the growth of blood vessels during sprouting angiogensis in different conditions. The blood vessel network is characterized as a function of the spatial distribution of the angiogenic promoting factors (represented by T in the model) and of the extra cellular matrix properties. We observe primarily an increase in the number of vessels, but not a change in their morphology, in tissues where cells produce a larger amount of T. In opposition, in tissues where there is higher mobility of endothelial cells, the vessels are thicker. We also compare the vessel network originated during disordered growth in tumor development, with the ordered vessel growth that occurs in morphogenesis. |
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