Understandingtheformationofbloodvesselshasbecomethefocusofamajorresearcheffortthroughoutthelastdecade.Angiogenesisistheprocessofnewbloodvesselformationfrompre-existingvasculatures.Itplaysanessentialroleindevelopment,normaltissuegrowth,woundhealing,thefemalereproductivecycle(placentaldevelopment,ovulation,corpusluteum)andalsoplaysamajorroleinvariousdiseases.Specialinterestisfocusedontumorgrowth,sincetumorscannotgrowmorethanafewmillimetersinsizewithoutdevelopinganewbloodsupply.Oneofthekeymoleculesforangiogenesisandforthesurvivaloftheendotheliumisvascularendothelialgrowthfactor(VEGF-A).Duringthepastfewyears,severalothermembersoftheVEGFfamilyhavebeencloned,includingVEGF-B,-C-and-D.Intermsofvascularangiogenesis,whichmainlyisregulatedbyVEGF-A,lymphangiogenesisismainlyregulatedbyVEGF-Cand-D.VEGF-Acanbedetectedinbothplasmaandserumsamplesofpatients,withmuchhigherlevelsinserum.Extremelyhighlevelscanbedetectedinthecysticbrainfluidofbraintumorpatientsorinascitesfluidofpatients.PlateletsreleaseVEGF-AuponaggregationandmaybeanothermajorsourceofVEGF-Adeliverytotumors.SeveralotherstudieshaveshownthatassociationofhighserumlevelsofVEGF-Awithpoorprognosisincancerpatientsmaybecorrelatedwithanelevatedplateletcount.FurThermore,VEGF-AisimplicatedinseveralotherpathologicalconditionsassociatedwithenhancedangiogenesisorenhancedvascularpermeABIlity.ExampleswhereVEGF-Aplaysanimportantrolearepsoriasisandrheumatoidarthritis(15),aswellastheovarianhyperstimulationsyndrome.DiabeticretinopathyisassociatedwithhighintraocularlevelsofVEGF-A,andinhibitionofVEGF-Afunctionmayresultininfertilitybyblockageofcorpusluteumfunction.DirectdemonstrationoftheimportanceofVEGF-AintumorgrowthhasbeenachievedusingdominantnegativeVEGFreceptorstoblockinvivoproliferation,aswellasblockingantibodiestoVEGFortooneoftheVEGFreceptors.

Synonyms:VascularendothelialgrowthfactorA,Vascularpermeabilityfactor,VPF