VEGF Polyclonal Antibody, Invitrogen™

Description

• Heat-mediated antigen retrieval is recommended prior to staining, using a 1mM EDTA buffer, pH 8.0, for 10 minutes followed by cooling at room temperature for 20 min
• Following antigen retrieval, incubate samples with primary antibody for 10 min at room temperature
• A suggested positive control is angiosarcoma or placenta tissue
• VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) which is a 45 kDa homodimeric, disulfide-linked glycoprotein involved in angiogenesis which promotes tumor progression and metastasis
• VEGF has a variety of effects on vascular endothelium, including the ability to promote endothelial cell viability, mitogenesis, chemotaxis, and vascular permeability
• The VEGF family currently includes VEGF-A, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGF-E, and PIGF
• VEGF and its receptor system have been shown to be the fundamental regulators in the cell signaling of angiogenesis
• Most tumors have the absolute requirement of angiogenesis, and VEGF has been described as the most potent angiogenic cytokine linked to this process
• To date 5 different isoforms of VEGF have been described
• These isoforms are generated as the result of alternative splicing from a single VEGF gene
• These various isoforms have been shown to bind to two tyrosine-kinase receptors flt-1 (VEGFR-1) and flk-1/KDR (VEGFR-2), which have been found to be expressed almost exclusively on endothelial cells
• VEGF and its high-affinity binding receptors, the tyrosine kinases FLK1 and FLT1, are thought to be important for the development of embryonic vasculature
• Studies have shown that an alternately spliced form of FLT1 produces a soluble protein, termed sFLT1, which binds vascular endothelial growth factor with high affinity, playing an inhibitory role in angiogenesis
• Elevated levels of VEGF is linked to POEMS syndrome (Polyneuropathy, Organomegaly, Endocrinopathy, Monoclonal gammopathy, Skin changes) also known as Crow-Fukase syndrome which affects multiple organs in the body.