The molecular and cellular mechanisms governing vascular development are still poorly
understood. Prominent among the intercellular signals that control the initial establishment
of the vascular network (termed vasculogenesis) and the subsequent remodeling process
(called angiogenesis) are soluble ligands that signal through receptor tyrosine kinases
(RTKs). Recent reports have added cell-bound ephrin ligands and their cognate Eph RTKs
to the list of key players in vascular development.