Scientific background: |
VEGF, a homodimeric glycoprotein of relative molecular mass 45,000, is the only mitogen that specifically acts on endothelial cells. It may be a major regulator of tumor angiogenesis in vivo. Vascular endothelial growth factor is a mitogen primarily for vascular endothelial cells. It is, however, structurally related to platelet-derived growth factor. VEGF shares homology with the PDGF A chain and B chain, including conservation of all 8 cysteines found in PDGFA and PDGFB. VEGF gene contains 8 exons. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induces remodeling and enhances TH2-mediated sensitization and inflammation in the lung. VEGF regulates haematopoietic stem cell survival by an internal autocrine loop mechanism. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulates neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo. |
References: |
1. Lee, C. G.; Link, H.; Baluk, P.; Homer, R. J.; Chapoval, S.; Bhandari, V.; Kang, M. J.; Cohn, L.; Kim, Y. K.; McDonald, D. M.; Elias, J. A. : Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induces remodeling and enhances TH2-mediated sensitization and inflammation in the lung. Nature Med. 10: 1095-1103, 2004.
2. Gerber, H.-P.; Malik, A. K.; Solar, G. P.; Sherman, D.; Liang, X. H.; Meng, G.; Hong, K.; Marsters, J. C.; Ferrara, N. : VEGF regulates haematopoietic stem cell survival by an internal autocrine loop mechanism. Nature 417: 954-958, 2002.
3. Jin, K.; Zhu, Y.; Sun, Y.; Mao, X. O.; Xie, L.; Greenberg, D. A. : Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulates neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 99: 11946-11950, 2002. |