BACKGROUND Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a highly specific signaling protein for vascular endothelial cells that plays a critical role in tumor growth and invasion through angiogenesis, and may contribute to cell migration and activation of pre-osteoclasts, osteoclasts and some tumor cells. OBJECTIVES We aimed to clarify the detailed roles of VEGF-Flt-1 signaling in bone invasi...

Somatic mutations within the antibody variable domains are critical to the immense capacity of the immune repertoire. Here, via a deep mutational scan, we dissect how mutations at all positions of the variable domains of a high-affinity anti-VEGF antibody G6.31 impact its antigen-binding function. The resulting mutational landscape demonstrates that large portions of antibody variable domain po...

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a homodimeric hormone that induces proliferation of endothelial cells through binding to the kinase domain receptor and the Fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor (Flt-1), the extracellular portions of which consist of seven immunoglobulin domains. We show that the second and third domains of Flt-1 are necessary and sufficient for binding VEGF with near-n...

Background: Endometriosis is a disease which is defined by the growth of endometrium-like tissue outside of the uterine cavity. Literatures show that VEGF by interaction with their receptors, Flt-1 (Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 or VEGFR-1) and Flk-1/KDR (fetal liver kinase/ kinase-insert domain receptor or VEGFR-2) is related to pathogenesis of endometriosis. The purpose of this study was to eval...

PURPOSE To quantify the effectiveness of anti-VEGF antibodies (bevacizumab and B20-4.1.1) as mitigators of radiation-induced, central nervous system (brain) necrosis in a mouse model. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Cohorts of mice were irradiated with single-fraction 50- or 60-Gy doses of radiation targeted to the left hemisphere (brain) using the Leksell Perfexion Gamma Knife. The onset and progression...

The impending influenza virus pandemic requires global vaccination to prevent large-scale mortality and morbidity, but traditional influenza virus vaccine production is too slow for rapid responses. In this study, bacterial system has been developed for expression and purification of properly folded HA1 antigen as a rapid response to emerging pandemic strains. Here, a recombinant H5N1 (A/Indone...

Virotherapy using oncolytic vaccinia virus (VACV) strains is one promising new strategy for cancer therapy. We have previously reported that oncolytic vaccinia virus strains expressing an anti-VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) single-chain antibody (scAb) GLAF-1 exhibited significant therapeutic efficacy for treatment of human tumor xenografts. Here, we describe the use of oncolytic vac...