Angiopellosis

Angiopellosis (cell extravasation) is the movement of cells out of the circulatory system, into the surrounding tissue. This process is specific to non-leukocytic cells; white blood cells (leukocytes) employ diapedesis for movement out of circulation. Angiopellosis was discovered by studying the way that stem cells reach damaged tissue when injected or infused into the circulatory system. It has been found that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) possess this ability to exit blood vessels through angiopellosis during the process of metastasis.

Angiopellosis involves cell–cell recognition by the blood vessel wall (endothelial cells), and the active remodeling of the blood vessel to allow the cell to exit.