Endocrine gland-derived VEGF and the emerging hypothesis of organ-specific regulation of angiogenesis.
The diversity in growth and morphological characteristics among endothelial cells in different normal tissues and tumors has been long recognized. Yet there has been no clear molecular explanation for such diversity at the level of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and other established regulators of angiogenesis that are expressed widely and show little tissue selectivity in their angiogenic properties. Endocrine gland-derived VEGF represents the first example of a tissue-specific angiogenic factor, likely to be followed by others.
Department of Molecular Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA.
Jennifer
J
LeCouter
Rui
R
Lin
Napoleone
N
Ferrara
D000818:Animals; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology; D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones; D006801:Humans; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000502:physiology; D008934:Mitogens / Q000502:physiology*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D009928:Organ Specificity; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042662:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Endocrine-Gland-Derived; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D005768:Gastrointestinal Hormones; D008222:Lymphokines; D008934:Mitogens; C467610:PROK1 protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042662:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Endocrine-Gland-Derived; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors