title: Development and pathological changes of neurovascular unit regulated by hypoxia response in the retina.
abstract: Retina is a highly vascularized tissue with a high oxygen and metabolic demand receiving light located in the back of the eye. The development and the maintenance of the retinal vasculature are important to regulate the homeostasis in the tissue. α Subunits of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) are key molecules in hypoxia response inducing genes required for cell survival such as vascular endothelial growth factor under hypoxia. Neurons, glia, and vascular endothelium cells interdependently form neurovascular unit in the retina tightly regulated by hypoxia response via HIF expression. A corruption of the precise hypoxia response in the developmental or matured retinal tissue may lead congenital vascular anomalies or adult neovascular ocular diseases. To regulate hypoxia response through HIF activity would be an ideal therapeutic target for these vision-threatening eye diseases.
authors.affiliation: Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: kurihara@z8.keio.jp.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurihara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000473:pathology*; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000069336:Neurovascular Coupling / Q000502:physiology*; D012160:Retina / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
keywords: Developmental anomaly; Hypoxia-inducible factor; Neovascular ocular disease; Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous; Retina; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Von Hippel-Lindau protein