title: Semaphorins in cardiovascular medicine.
abstract: During organogenesis, patterning is primarily achieved by the combined actions of morphogens. Among these, semaphorins represent a general system for establishing the appropriate wiring architecture of biological nets. Originally discovered as evolutionarily conserved steering molecules for developing axons, subsequent studies on semaphorins expanded their functions to the cardiovascular and immune systems. Semaphorins participate in cardiac organogenesis and control physiological vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, which result from a balance between pro- and anti-angiogenic signals. These signals are altered in several diseases. In this review, we discuss the role of semaphorins in vascular biology, emphasizing the mechanisms by which these molecules control vascular patterning and lymphangiogenesis, as well as in genetically inherited and degenerative vascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy; Candiolo Cancer Institute, Torino, Candiolo, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Corà
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy; Candiolo Cancer Institute, Torino, Candiolo, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Astanina
authors.affiliation: Candiolo Cancer Institute-FPO, IRCCS, Torino, Candiolo, Italy; Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giraudo
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy; Candiolo Cancer Institute, Torino, Candiolo, Italy. Electronic address: federico.bussolino@unito.it.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bussolino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology* / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism; D042583:Lymphangiogenesis; D051379:Mice; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C000592402:Sema3D protein, human; D039961:Semaphorins
keywords: angiogenesis; cardiac diseases; endothelial cells; plexins; vascular diseases