ABSTRACT
The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was first described by Senger e t al. in 1983, who purified the protein from tumor cells [1]. Due to its ability to enhance vascular permeability, this protein was named vascular permeability factor [2]. In 1989, this new protein was described completely by Dvorak e t al., who included
it in the growth factor (GF) family with its current name, VEGF [3, 4]. Since then, several VEGF family mem bers have been identified in humans, including VEGF-B [5, 6], VEGF-C (also called VEGF-2) [7], VEGF-D [8], and placenta growth factor (PIGF) [9]. Among the VEGF family members, different subtypes have been reported. For instance, VEGF-A contains three subtypes containing a different num ber of amino acids, known as VEGF-121, VEGF-165, and VEGF189, which are the major human VEGF isoforms and the ones that offer the strongest vascular permeability.
