Requirement of Vascular Integrin α v β 3 for Angiogenesis

• DOI: 10.1126/science.7512751
• Publication Date: 2006-10-06T00:01:25Z
• Authors: Peter C. Brooks; Richard A. F. Clark; David A. Cheresh
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Integrins; 0303 health sciences; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Chick Embryo; Receptors, Cytoadhesin; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; von Willebrand Factor; Granulation Tissue; Animals; Blood Vessels; Humans; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; Receptors, Vitronectin; Laminin; Melanoma; Skin

Angiogenesis depends on the adhesive interactions of vascular cells. The adhesion receptor integrin α v β 3 was identified as a marker of angiogenic vascular tissue. Integrin α v β 3 was expressed on blood vessels in human wound granulation tissue but not in normal skin, and it showed a fourfold increase in expression during angiogenesis on the chick chorioallantoic membrane. In the latter assay, a monoclonal antibody to α v β 3 blocked angiogenesis induced by basic fibroblast growth factor, tumor necrosis factor-α, and human melanoma fragments but had no effect on preexisting vessels. These findings suggest that α v β 3 may be a useful therapeutic target for diseases characterized by neovascularization.