Vascular endothelial growth factor family (VEGF family) (VEGF family)

The Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family consists of several secreted glycoproteins, including VEGF-A, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and Placental Growth Factor (PlGF), which serve as critical regulators of blood and lymphatic vessel formation (UniProt: P15692; PMID: 23673481). These ligands exert their biological effects by binding to specific tyrosine kinase receptors (VEGFR-1, -2, and -3) on the surface of endothelial cells, triggering signaling cascades that promote cell proliferation, migration, and survival (StatPearls: VEGF Inhibitors). In healthy physiology, the VEGF family is essential for embryonic development, wound healing, and the female reproductive cycle (PMID: 15156151). However, pathological overproduction of these ligands is a hallmark of many diseases, particularly solid tumors, where they drive "angiogenic switching" to support tumor growth and metastasis (NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms). In ophthalmology, excessive VEGF activity leads to abnormal vessel growth and leakage in conditions like age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy (PMID: 26730064). Therapeutic strategies targeting the VEGF family primarily involve the use of monoclonal antibodies or fusion proteins, such as bevacizumab and aflibercept, which sequester the ligands to prevent receptor activation (PubChem: Bevacizumab). While highly effective in oncology and ophthalmology, anti-VEGF therapies are associated with systemic side effects like hypertension and impaired wound healing due to the inhibition of normal vascular maintenance (PMID: 19934055).

Other names

Vascular permeability factorVPFVEGFsVEGF-AVEGF-BVEGF-CVEGF-DPlacental growth factorPlGFVEGF ligands

Binding and sequestration of circulating VEGF ligands (e.g., VEGF-A, VEGF-B, PlGF) to prevent their interaction with cell-surface VEGF receptors (VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, VEGFR-3), thereby inhibiting downstream pro-angiogenic and pro-permeability signaling pathways (PMID: 23673481; StatPearls: VEGF Inhibitors).