研究人员在血管的发育过程中发现了一种指导血管生成的清晰信息线索，新成果发表在5月在线出版的《自然—细胞生物学》。新发现可应用于药物研究，开发阻止癌细胞生长所需血液供应的新药。
在脊椎动物的发育过程中，心脏中背主动脉和前静脉形成了一个确保氧气抵达器官的环。原始血管向相反方向的生长促进了这种成熟循环系统的建立和拓展。利用斑马鱼作为模式系统， Suk-Won Jin和同事发现，在发育阶段，截然不同的信号线索控制着血管的生长方向。他们注意到，背主动脉的生长方向对应于一种名为VEGF-A的生长因子，而VEGF-A生长因子对前静脉血管的生长方向没有影响。他们还指出，前静脉血管对应着一种由BMP分子控制的分化信号向相反方向生长。
因为癌细胞会生长出自己的血管系统以保证其氧气供应，所以，对发育期血管生长基本机制的阐明将有助于科学家们研制可切断癌细胞血液供应的新药。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原文出处：
Nature Cell Biology DOI:10.1038/ncb2232
Distinct signalling pathways regulate sprouting angiogenesis from the dorsal aorta and the axial vein
David M. Wiley; Jun-Dae Kim; Jijun Hao; Charles C. Hong; Victoria L. Bautch; Suk-Won Jin
Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels, is critical to most physiological processes and many pathological conditions. During zebrafish development, angiogenesis expands the axial vessels into a complex vascular network that is necessary for efficient oxygen delivery. Although the dorsal aorta and the axial vein are spatially juxtaposed, the initial angiogenic sprouts from these vessels extend in opposite directions, indicating that distinct cues may regulate angiogenesis of the axial vessels. We found that angiogenic sprouts from the dorsal aorta are dependent on vascular endothelial growth factor A (Vegf-A) signalling, and do not respond to bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) signals. In contrast, sprouts from the axial vein are regulated by Bmp signalling independently of Vegf-A signals, indicating that Bmp is a vein-specific angiogenic cue during early vascular development. Our results support a paradigm whereby different signals regulate distinct programmes of sprouting angiogenesis from the axial vein and dorsal aorta, and indicate that signalling heterogeneity contributes to the complexity of vascular networks.
