1. Vascular endothelial growth factors: biology and current status of clinical applications in cardiovascular medicine.
- Author
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Ylä-Herttuala S, Rissanen TT, Vajanto I, and Hartikainen J
- Subjects
- Animals, Arterial Occlusive Diseases diagnosis, Arterial Occlusive Diseases mortality, Coronary Artery Disease diagnosis, Coronary Artery Disease mortality, Disease Models, Animal, Endothelium, Vascular drug effects, Humans, Neovascularization, Physiologic drug effects, Peripheral Vascular Diseases diagnosis, Peripheral Vascular Diseases mortality, Prognosis, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Risk Factors, Survival Analysis, Treatment Outcome, Arterial Occlusive Diseases drug therapy, Cardiovascular System drug effects, Coronary Artery Disease drug therapy, Peripheral Vascular Diseases drug therapy, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors therapeutic use
- Abstract
Members of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family are among the most powerful modulators of vascular biology. They regulate vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and vascular maintenance during embryogenesis and in adults. Because of their profound effects on blood vessels, VEGFs have received much attention regarding their potential therapeutic use in cardiovascular medicine, especially for therapeutic vascular growth in myocardial and peripheral ischemia. However, completed randomized controlled VEGF trials have not provided convincing evidence of clinical efficacy. On the other hand, recent preclinical proangiogenic VEGF studies have given insight, and anti-VEGF studies have shown that the disturbance of vascular homeostasis by blocking VEGF-A may lead to endothelial dysfunction and adverse vascular effects. Excess VEGF-A may contribute to neovascularization of atherosclerotic lesions but, currently, there is no evidence that transient overexpression by gene transfer could lead to plaque destabilization. Here, we review the biology and effects of VEGFs as well as the current status of clinical applications and future perspectives of the therapeutic use of VEGFs in cardiovascular medicine.
- Published
- 2007
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