Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Royal College Street, London NW1 0TU, UK.
University College London, Division of Medicine, Rayne Building, University Street, London WC1E 6JF, UK.
Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jul 21;21(14):5154. doi: 10.3390/ijms21145154.
Cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide, is predominantly associated with atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterised by the narrowing of large to medium-sized arteries due to a build-up of plaque. Atherosclerotic plaque is comprised of lipids, extracellular matrix, and several cell types, including endothelial, immune, and vascular smooth muscle cells. Such narrowing of the blood vessels can itself restrict blood flow to vital organs but most severe clinical complications, including heart attacks and strokes, occur when lesions rupture, triggering the blood to clot and obstructing blood flow further down the vascular tree. To circumvent such obstructions, percutaneous coronary intervention or bypass grafts are often required; however, re-occlusion of the treated artery frequently occurs. Neuropilins (NRPs), a multifunctional family of cell surface co-receptors, are expressed by endothelial, immune, and vascular smooth muscle cells and are regulators of numerous signalling pathways within the vasculature. Here, we review recent studies implicating NRP2 in the development of occlusive vascular diseases and discuss how NRP2 could be targeted for therapeutic intervention.
心血管疾病是全球主要的致死原因，主要与动脉粥样硬化有关。动脉粥样硬化是一种慢性炎症性疾病，其特征是由于斑块的积累，大中动脉变窄。动脉粥样硬化斑块由脂质、细胞外基质和几种细胞类型组成，包括内皮细胞、免疫细胞和血管平滑肌细胞。血管的这种变窄本身可以限制血液流向重要器官，但当病变破裂时，最严重的临床并发症，包括心脏病发作和中风，就会发生，这会触发血液凝结并进一步阻塞血管树下游的血流。为了规避这种阻塞，经常需要进行经皮冠状动脉介入治疗或旁路移植术；然而，治疗后的动脉经常会再次阻塞。神经纤毛蛋白（NRPs）是细胞表面共受体的多功能家族，由内皮细胞、免疫细胞和血管平滑肌细胞表达，是血管内众多信号通路的调节剂。在这里，我们回顾了最近的研究，这些研究表明 NRP2 在闭塞性血管疾病的发展中起作用，并讨论了如何针对 NRP2 进行治疗干预。
