background and objective: vascular endothelial growth factor (vegf) and its receptors (vegf-r1 and r2) are major regulators of angiogenesis. this study was designed to assess serum levels of vegf and vegf-r1 and their prognostic significance in newly diagnosed childhood acute leukemia. materials and methods: for this purpose, vegf and vegf-r1 were determined using enzyme linked immuno-sorbant a...

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-K) becomes activated when quiescent cells are stimulated with a variety of growth factors. We have microinjected antibodies specific for the p110 alpha subunit of the PI 3-K into quiescent fibroblasts and tested their effect on the ability of growth factors to stimulate exit from quiescence and entry into S phase. The antibodies inhibited platelet-derived...

Primary cilia have pivotal roles as organizers of many different signaling pathways, including platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) signaling, which, when aberrantly regulated, is associated with developmental disorders, tumorigenesis, and cancer. PDGFRα is up-regulated during ciliogenesis, and ciliary localization of the receptor is required for its appropriate ligand-mediated ac...

BACKGROUND Bone remodeling relies on the tightly regulated interplay between bone forming osteoblasts and bone digesting osteoclasts. Several studies have now described the molecular mechanisms by which osteoblasts control osteoclastogenesis and bone degradation. It is currently unclear whether osteoclasts can influence bone rebuilding. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Using in vitro cell syste...

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is a vision-threatening disease and a common complication of surgery to correct rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Several models of the pathogenesis of this disease have been described with some of these models focusing on the role of inflammatory cells and other models focusing on the role of growth factors and cytokines in the vitreous which come i...

The effects of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) were studied in isolated rings of rat aorta contracted submaximally to phenylephrine. The BB isoform of PDGF elicited relaxation in rings with endothelium and further contraction in rings without endothelium. Both the endothelium-dependent relaxation and endothelium-independent contraction occurred at concentrations known to induce PDGF recep...

BACKGROUND & AIM Aflibercept known as ziv-aflibercept in the United States is a soluble decoy receptor of both vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-1 and -2 known to inhibit the binding of VEGF and placental growth factor (PlGF) to VEGF receptor-1 and -2. Here, we analyzed the mechanisms of the antitumor effects of aflibercept in mouse hepatoma models. METHODS In in vitro studie...