The VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) family and its receptors are essential regulators of angiogenesis and vascular permeability. Currently, the VEGF family consists of VEGF-A, PlGF (placenta growth factor), VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGF-E and snake venom VEGF. VEGF-A has at least nine subtypes due to the alternative splicing of a single gene. Although the VEGF165 isoform plays a central role in vascular development, recent studies have demonstrated that each VEGF isoform plays distinct roles in vascular patterning and arterial development. VEGF-A binds to and activates two tyrosine kinase receptors, VEGFR (VEGF receptor)-1 and VEGFR-2. VEGFR-2 mediates most of the endothelial growth and survival signals, but VEGFR-1-mediated signalling plays important roles in pathological conditions such as cancer, ischaemia and inflammation. In solid tumours, VEGF-A and its receptor are involved in carcinogenesis, invasion and distant metastasis as well as tumour angiogenesis. VEGF-A also has a neuroprotective effect on hypoxic motor neurons, and is a modifier of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Recent progress in the molecular and biological understanding of the VEGF/VEGFR system provides us with novel and promising therapeutic strategies and target proteins for overcoming a variety of diseases.
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September 2005
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Review Article|
August 24 2005
The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGF receptor system and its role under physiological and pathological conditions
Hiroyuki Takahashi;
Hiroyuki Takahashi
*Division of Genetics, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokane-dai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
†Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
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Masabumi Shibuya
*Division of Genetics, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokane-dai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
Correspondence: Professor Masabumi Shibuya (email shibuya@ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
December 23 2004
Revision Received:
April 05 2005
Accepted:
May 09 2005
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
The Biochemical Society
2005
Clin Sci (Lond) (2005) 109 (3): 227–241.
Article history
Received:
December 23 2004
Revision Received:
April 05 2005
Accepted:
May 09 2005
Citation
Hiroyuki Takahashi, Masabumi Shibuya; The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGF receptor system and its role under physiological and pathological conditions. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 September 2005; 109 (3): 227–241. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20040370
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