VEGF-D

VEGF-D, a member of the VEGF/PDGF family of structurally related proteins, is a potent angiogenic cytokine. It promotes endothelial cell growth, promotes lymphangiogesis, and can also affect vascular permeability. VEGF-D is highly expressed in the lung, heart, small intestine and fetal lung, and at lower levels in the skeletal muscle, colon, and pancreas. It forms cell surfaced-associated non-covalent disulfide linked homodimers, and can bind and activate both VEGFR-2 (flk1) and VEGFR-3 (flt4) receptors. During embryogenesis, VEGF-D may play a role in the formation of the venous and lymphatic vascular systems. It also participates in the growth and maintenance of differentiated lymphatic endothelium in adults. Both VEGF-C and VEGF-D are over-expressed in certain cancers, and the resulting elevated levels of VEGF-C or VEGF-D tend to correlate with increased lymphatic metastasis.