During the process of angiogenesis, endothelial cells sprout into the collagen scaffold of the interstitial stroma (Eble JA 2007; Eble JA 2009). Collagen-binding integrins play a crucial role in this process (Eble JA 2005). After having aligned into a tub, endothelial cells synthesize laminins and return into quiescence, presumably under the control of laminin-binding integrins. The role of integrins in angiogenic sprouting and in vessel integrity during quiescence is analyzed in the project of the Eble lab within the SFB/TR23 (www.transregio23.de) and , as of 2014, within the SFB1009, funded by the DFG.