Fibroblast growth factor 2, which is a member of a large family of proteins that bind heparin and heparan sulfate and modulate the function of a wide range of cell types, stimulates the growth and development of angiogenesis, thus contributing to the pathogenesis of several diseases including atherosclerosis, and is associated with cortical gyrification in the mouse brain (53). This evidence concerns the gene FGF2 and atherosclerosis.