Question 1

What is the Meaning of VEGF?

Accepted Answer

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, or VEGF, is a pivotal signaling protein orchestrating the formation of new blood vessels, a process termed angiogenesis. It precisely stimulates the growth, survival, and migration of endothelial cells, fundamental for healthy vascular development and tissue repair.

Question 2

What is the Context of VEGF?

Accepted Answer

VEGF functions across diverse physiological systems, essential for normal embryonic development, efficient wound healing, and dynamic changes within the female reproductive cycle. Its activity is also implicated in pathological conditions characterized by uncontrolled vessel proliferation, such as various malignancies and proliferative eye disorders.

Question 3

What is the Significance of VEGF?

Accepted Answer

Understanding VEGF's regulatory influence is clinically vital as its dysregulation directly contributes to numerous disease progressions. Aberrant VEGF activity can fuel tumor growth by providing blood supply, or impair vision through abnormal vessel leakage in ocular conditions. Therapeutic approaches often modulate VEGF pathways to manage disease advancement and improve patient outcomes.

Question 4

What is the Mechanism of VEGF?

Accepted Answer

VEGF exerts its effects by selectively binding to specific receptor tyrosine kinases, primarily VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, on endothelial cell surfaces. This precise ligand-receptor interaction initiates a cascade of intracellular signaling, including phosphorylation pathways, which ultimately drive endothelial cell proliferation, enhance cell migration, and prevent programmed cell death, facilitating new blood vessel construction.

Question 5

What is the Application of VEGF?

Accepted Answer

In clinical settings, VEGF modulation treats several serious conditions. Anti-VEGF medications, like bevacizumab, are used in oncology to inhibit tumor blood supply, impeding malignant growth. In ophthalmology, agents such as ranibizumab or aflibercept are administered directly into the eye to reduce abnormal vessel formation and leakage, aiming to preserve vision in conditions like age-related macular degeneration.

Question 6

What is the Metric of VEGF?

Accepted Answer

VEGF activity or levels are assessed through various clinical methods. Circulating VEGF concentrations in serum or plasma are quantifiable using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), providing a systemic indicator. For localized ocular conditions, imaging like fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) directly visualize and monitor abnormal vessel presence and treatment response.

Question 7

What is the Risk of VEGF?

Accepted Answer

Interfering with VEGF pathways, particularly through anti-VEGF therapies, presents specific clinical risks. Systemic anti-VEGF agents in cancer treatment may lead to adverse effects including hypertension, proteinuria, and an elevated risk of arterial thromboembolic events or gastrointestinal perforation. Ocular injections carry rare but serious risks such as endophthalmitis, retinal detachment, or vitreous hemorrhage. Thorough patient evaluation and ongoing monitoring are essential.

VEGF

Meaning

Context

Significance

Mechanism

Application

Metric

Risk

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