Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor

About Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (VEGF): 

• It is a key regulator of physiological angiogenesis during embryogenesis, skeletal growth and reproductive functions.
• VEGF has also been implicated in pathological angiogenesis associated with tumors, intraocular neovascular disorders and other conditions.
• The biological effects of VEGF are mediated by two receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2.
• The VEGFR family of receptors is the key regulator of the process of generating new blood vessels.

Highlight of the research

• The researchers were intrigued by the fact that two members of family VEGFR 1 and VEGFR 2 behaved quite differently.
• While VEGFR 2, the primary receptor regulating process of formation of new blood vessels, could be spontaneously activated, without its ligand, the other member of the family VEGFR 1 cannot be spontaneously activated even when overexpressed in cells.
• It camouflages as a dead enzyme VEGFR1 and binds with ten-fold higher affinity to its ligand VEGF-A than VEGFR2.
• This ligand binding induces a transient kinase (speeding up chemical reactions in the body by an enzyme) activation.

Q1: What are Endothelial cells?

These form a single cell layer that lines all blood vessels and regulates exchanges between the bloodstream and the surrounding tissues.

Source: Camouflaging as a dead enzyme VEGFR1 holds key to medical solutions for colon and renal cancers