Angiogenesis-related ligands

Angiogenesis-related ligands are a diverse group of secreted proteins that orchestrate the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, a process essential for physiological development and pathological progression [6, 11]. The most prominent members include the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family, fibroblast growth factors (FGF), angiopoietins, and platelet-derived growth factors (PDGF) [4, 5, 7]. These ligands bind to specific receptor tyrosine kinases on endothelial cells and supporting pericytes, triggering signaling cascades that promote cell survival, proliferation, migration, and vessel stabilization [11, 13]. In many diseases, particularly cancer, an "angiogenic switch" occurs where the overproduction of these ligands leads to disorganized, leaky, and hyperpermeable neovascularization that supports tumor growth and metastasis [5, 12, 13]. Consequently, these ligands and their receptors have become primary targets for therapeutic intervention [1, 11]. Drugs such as bevacizumab and aflibercept act by sequestering circulating ligands, thereby preventing the activation of downstream signaling pathways [5, 10, 13]. While highly effective in treating certain cancers and ocular diseases like wet age-related macular degeneration, targeting these pathways can lead to systemic side effects such as hypertension and impaired wound healing due to the ligands' roles in normal vascular homeostasis [6, 11, 14].

Other names

Angiogenic factors [11, 12]Pro-angiogenic ligands [2, 8]Angiogenic growth factors [11]Vascular growth factors [4]

Neutralization of circulating pro-angiogenic ligands (e.g., via monoclonal antibodies or decoy receptors) to prevent their binding to and activation of cognate receptor tyrosine kinases on endothelial cells [5, 10, 13].