Endothelial Arginine Metabolism in Angiogenesis: Mechanistic Insights from Tissue Repair to Tumor Progression

Angiogenesis, the process of forming new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, is essential both during development and in adulthood under physiological and pathological conditions. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms that control angiogenesis has far-reaching implications in developmental biology and the treatment of human diseases. In this context, amino acid metabolism has emerged as a key driver of blood vessel formation. While the role of L-arginine (L-arg) in the cardiovascular system has been extensively described, whether L-arg could serve as a potential metabolite to target during tumor angiogenesis or be exploited to promote tissue regeneration remains unclear. Here, we will describe L-arg metabolism in the vascular context and its crosstalk with angiogenic metabolic pathways. We will also review the main findings regarding the role of L-arg in tissue regeneration and tumor progression, situating L-arg at the center of the discussion on regenerative and preventive vascular medicine.