title: The roles of vascular endothelial growth factor in bone repair and regeneration.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF) is one of the most important growth factors for regulation of vascular development and angiogenesis. Since bone is a highly vascularized organ and angiogenesis plays an important role in osteogenesis, VEGF also influences skeletal development and postnatal bone repair. Compromised bone repair and regeneration in many patients can be attributed to impaired blood supply; thus, modulation of VEGF levels in bones represents a potential strategy for treating compromised bone repair and improving bone regeneration. This review (i) summarizes the roles of VEGF at different stages of bone repair, including the phases of inflammation, endochondral ossification, intramembranous ossification during callus formation and bone remodeling; (ii) discusses different mechanisms underlying the effects of VEGF on osteoblast function, including paracrine, autocrine and intracrine signaling during bone repair; (iii) summarizes the role of VEGF in the bone regenerative procedure, distraction osteogenesis; and (iv) reviews evidence for the effects of VEGF in the context of repair and regeneration techniques involving the use of scaffolds, skeletal stem cells and growth factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: kqhkai@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: bjorn_olsen@hms.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Bjorn R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D006801:Humans; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D010012:Osteogenesis; D019857:Osteogenesis, Distraction; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: Bone regeneration; Bone remodeling; Bone repair; Distraction osteogenesis; Endochondral ossification; Inflammation; Membranous bone formation; Vascular endothelial growth factor