title: VEGF-A: a critical regulator of blood vessel growth.
abstract: Angiogenesis is required for a variety of normal and pathological, proliferative processes. Numerous regulators of angiogenesis have been identified and characterized over the last decades. Among these, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A appears especially important in normal development and in disease processes. Several VEGF inhibitors have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of tumors or the neovascular form of age-related macular degeneration. This article examines the molecular and biological characteristics of VEGF and also discusses preclinical and clinical studies with VEGF inhibitors and the lessons learned from these studies.
authors.affiliation: Genentech, Inc., San Francisco, CA 94080, USA. nf@gene.com
authors.forename: Napoleone
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferrara
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A