title: Redundant roles of VEGF-B and PlGF during selective VEGF-A blockade in mice.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and its 2 transmembrane tyrosine-kinase receptors, VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, constitute a ligand-receptor signaling system that is crucial for developmental angiogenesis. VEGF-B and placental growth factor (PlGF) activate VEGFR-1 selectively, however, mice lacking either ligand display only minor developmental defects. We hypothesized that the relative contributions of VEGF-B and PlGF to VEGFR-1 signaling may be masked in the presence of VEGF-A, which is abundantly expressed during postnatal development. To test this hypothesis, neonatal or adult mice were treated with a monoclonal antibody (G6-23-IgG) blocking murine VEGF-A or a soluble VEGFR-1 receptor IgG chimeric construct [mFlt(1-3)-IgG], which neutralizes VEGF-A, VEGF-B, and PlGF. Both compounds attenuated growth and survival of neonatal mice to similar extents and the pathophysiologic alterations, including a reduction in organ size and vascularization, changes in gene expression, and hematologic end points, were essentially indistinguishable. In adult mice, we observed only minor changes in response to treatment, which were similar between both anti-VEGF compounds. In conclusion, our findings suggest that PlGF and VEGF-B do not compensate during conditions of VEGF-A blockade, suggesting a minor role for compensatory VEGFR-1 signaling during postnatal development and vascular homeostasis in adults. The absence of compensatory VEGFR-1 signaling by VEGF-B and PlGF may have important implications for the development of anticancer strategies targeting the VEGF ligand/receptor system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
authors.forename: Ajay K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: Megan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: Franklin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peale
authors.forename: Germaine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fuh
authors.forename: Wei-Ching
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lowman
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Napoleone
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Gerber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015996:Survival Rate; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D042561:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; C000608036:PGF protein, human; C000608037:Pgf protein, mouse; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042561:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor B; C467480:vascular endothelial growth factor A, mouse; C467482:vascular endothelial growth factor B, mouse; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1