Angiogenesis, the regrowth of new blood vessels, occurs after stroke1 and thus raises hopes that this regeneration is beneficial for patients with stroke. There is no doubt, that the restoration of blood supply, providing oxygen and nutrients to the ischemic brain tissue, is beneficial for stroke recovery. However, it is debated, whether angiogenesis truly contributes to improved recovery. Thus, fully functional new vessels occur only after several days,2 as angiogenesis is a multistep process. It is, therefore, important to have a close look at the angiogenic dynamics itself and to critically assess some pathophysiologic steps, which can be even aggravating stroke progression. Angiogenic cues arise from periods of hypoxia. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the most potent trigger for inducing angiogenesis and shows high upregulation as early as 1 hour after stroke. Unfortunately, it also …