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Posted on: 02/17/2004
Angiogenesis Weekly, Feb 20, 2004
VEGF is the driving force behind neurogenesis and angiogenesis linkage.
"Migration of undifferentiated neural progenitors is critical for the development and repair of the nervous system. However, the mechanisms and factors that regulate migration are not well understood. Here, we show that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, a major angiogenic factor, guides the directed migration of neural progenitors that do not display antigenic markers for neuron- or glia-restricted precursor cells," scientists in Switzerland report.
"We demonstrate that progenitor cells express both VEGF receptor (VEGFR) 1 and VEGFR2, but signaling through VEGFR2 specifically mediates the chemotactic effect of VEGF. The expression of VEGFRs and the chemotaxis of progenitors in response to VEGF require the presence of fibroblast growth factor 2," according to H.X. Zhang and colleagues, University of Geneva, School of Medicine.
"These results demonstrate that VEGF is an attractive guidance cue for the migration of undifferentiated neural progenitors and offer a mechanistic link between neurogenesis and angiogenesis in the nervous system," Zhang and coworkers said.
Zhang and colleagues published their study in Journal of Cell Biology (VEGF is a chemoattractant for FGF-2-stimulated neural progenitors. J Cell Biol, 2003;163(6):1375-1384).
For more information, contact J.Z. Kiss, University Geneva, School of Medicine, Med Center, Department Morphology, 1 Rue Michel Servet, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
Publisher contact information for the Journal of Cell Biology is: Rockefeller University Press, 1114 First Avenue, 4TH FL, New York, NY 10021, USA.
The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of Angiogenesis, Stem Cell Research, and Neuroscience.
This article was prepared by Angiogenesis Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2004, Angiogenesis Weekly via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net.