Zachary I
Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, UK.
Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 1998 Nov;30(11):1169-74. doi: 10.1016/s1357-2725(98)00082-x.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a crucial role in angiogenesis in development, in cancer and in other important diseases. VEGF regulates multiple endothelial cell functions including mitogenesis, permeability, vascular tone, and the production of vasoactive molecules. VEGF is related to several polypeptides which may have different and overlapping functions. The synthesis of VEGF is regulated by hypoxia-mediated control of gene transcription, alternative mRNA splicing and proteolytic processing. The diverse biological activities of VEGF are mediated through at least two receptor protein tyrosine kinases, KDR/Flk-1 and Flt-1. Because of VEGF's central importance for pathophysiological angiogenesis, the development of antagonists for VEGF in the treatment of cancer, and the use of VEGF therapeutically in cardiovascular diseases are now the focus of major research efforts.
血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）在发育、癌症及其他重要疾病的血管生成过程中发挥着关键作用。VEGF调节多种内皮细胞功能，包括有丝分裂、通透性、血管张力以及血管活性分子的产生。VEGF与几种可能具有不同和重叠功能的多肽相关。VEGF的合成受缺氧介导的基因转录控制、可变mRNA剪接和蛋白水解加工的调节。VEGF的多种生物学活性通过至少两种受体蛋白酪氨酸激酶KDR/Flk-1和Flt-1介导。由于VEGF在病理生理血管生成中至关重要，目前主要研究工作的重点是开发VEGF拮抗剂用于癌症治疗以及在心血管疾病中进行VEGF的治疗应用。
