South Korean Scientists Map Crucial Angiogenesis Pathway

Scientists have investigated the role of two related proteins that play opposite functional roles in angiogenesis.

AsianScientist (Apr. 11, 2011) – Angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels, is required during embryonic development and wound healing, as well as during disease processes such as tumor growth.

The signals that direct angiogenesis are complex and incompletely understood, but could represent novel targets for the development of therapies that promote or inhibit this process.

In a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Young-Guen Kwon and colleagues of Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, investigated the role of two related proteins, Dickkopf1 (DKK1) and Dickkopf2 (DKK2), a group of WNT antagonists which play opposite functional roles in angiogenesis.

These proteins are known to have similar functions in inhibiting a particular cell signaling pathway, but Kwon and colleagues found that they played opposite roles in directing angiogenesis.

DKK2 promoted angiogenesis in cultured human endothelial cells and in in vivo assays using mice. Its structural homolog, DKK1, suppressed angiogenesis and was repressed upon induction of morphogenesis.

Remarkably, they discovered that injection of DKK2 improved vascular regeneration in mouse models of both hind limb ischemia and myocardial infarction (heart attack).

The researchers are hopeful that pharmacological manipulation of DKK1 and DKK2 could be used to treat angiogenesis-related diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and tumor growth.

The article can be found at: Min JK et al. (2011) The WNT antagonist Dickkopf2 promotes angiogenesis in rodent and human endothelial cells.

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Source: Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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