Vascular endothelial growth factor family (excluding VEGF-A) (VEGF family (non-A))

The Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) family, excluding the primary isoform VEGF-A, comprises VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and Placental Growth Factor (PlGF). These proteins are critical regulators of the vascular and lymphatic systems, with VEGF-C and VEGF-D serving as the primary ligands for VEGFR-3, driving lymphangiogenesis and playing a critical role in the lymphatic spread of cancer cells (Stacker et al., 2002, Nature Reviews Cancer). PlGF and VEGF-B primarily interact with VEGFR-1, modulating pathological angiogenesis and inflammatory responses (Ferrara, 2004, Nature Medicine). While VEGF-A is the most common target for anti-angiogenic therapy, these other family members are significant in disease progression, particularly in tumor metastasis and resistance to standard anti-VEGF treatments (UniProt P49767, P49765). Therapeutic agents like aflibercept act as decoy receptors for PlGF and VEGF-B, while newer drugs like OPT-302 are designed to inhibit VEGF-C and VEGF-D to treat retinal vascular diseases (Opthea, 2023). This group of proteins represents a distinct set of therapeutic targets involved in specialized vascular signaling beyond the primary angiogenic pathway.

Other names

VEGF-BVEGF-CVEGF-DPlacental growth factorPlGFPGFFIGFVRPVascular endothelial growth factor BVascular endothelial growth factor CVascular endothelial growth factor D

Inhibition of VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, and VEGFR-3 signaling pathways through the sequestration of ligands including VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and Placental Growth Factor (PlGF).