Angiogenic modulation by notch signal transduction

Throughout this application, various publications are referenced by author and date. Full citations for these publications may be found listed alphabetically at the end of the specification immediately preceding the claims. The disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art as known to those skilled therein as of the date of the invention described and claimed herein. This invention provides methods of modulating angiogenesis, including promoting or inhibiting angiogenesis, e.g., in connection with treating abnormalities including hemangiomas, hemangiosarcomas, Kaposi's Sarcoma, ischemic disorders, and wounds. These methods involve administration of compounds that are selective agonists or antagonists of Notch4 protein. In addition, this invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a Notch4, an isolated Notch4 protein, vectors comprising an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a Notch4 protein, cells comprising such vectors, antibodies directed to Notch4 protein, nucleic acid probes useful for detecting nucleic acids encoding Notch4 protein, and antisense oligonucleotides complementary to any unique sequences of a nucleic acid molecule which encodes Notch4 protein.