Soluble endoglin (sENG)

Soluble endoglin (sENG) is a circulating form of the transmembrane glycoprotein endoglin (CD105), a co-receptor for the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily [UniProt P17813]. It is produced by the proteolytic cleavage of the membrane-bound form, primarily by the enzyme MMP-14 (MT1-MMP) [Hawinkels et al., 2010, Cancer Research]. sENG functions as a decoy receptor that binds to circulating ligands such as TGF-beta 1, TGF-beta 3, and BMP9, preventing them from interacting with their cell-surface receptors and thus inhibiting pro-angiogenic signaling [Venkatesha et al., 2006, Nature Medicine]. High levels of sENG are a hallmark of preeclampsia, where it acts in concert with soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) to induce systemic endothelial dysfunction and hypertension [NIH/PubMed]. In cancer, elevated sENG levels are associated with tumor progression, metastasis, and poor clinical outcomes, making it a potential biomarker and therapeutic target [PubMed]. Therapeutic approaches under investigation include neutralizing antibodies like Carotuximab (TRC105) and apheresis techniques to reduce circulating sENG levels and restore vascular homeostasis [ClinicalTrials.gov].

Other names

sCD105Soluble CD105Extracellular domain of endoglin

Neutralization of circulating soluble endoglin to prevent its decoy receptor activity and restore normal TGF-beta/BMP signaling pathways.