Anti-FLT4 monoclonal antibody, clone 65844 [Biotin]

PURPOSE. To investigate whole transcriptional differences between proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) neovascular membranes (NVMs) and retinas, and the regulatory genes participating in retinal neovascularization in PDR. METHODS. We used high-throughput sequencing technology to capture the whole-genome gene expression levels of all participants, including 23 patients with PDR or branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), 3 normal retinal samples, and 2 retinal samples from type II diabetic (T2D) eyes by donation, followed by analyses of expression patterns using bioinformatics methods, then validation of the data by in situ hybridization and Western blotting. RESULTS. We showed that transcriptional profiles of the NVMs were distinct from those of the retinas. Angiogenesis growth factors VEGFC, ANGPT1, ANGPT2, and EFNB2, and their receptors FLT4, TIE1, TIE2, and EPHB4, respectively, were overexpressed. Expression of VEGFA was highly upregulated in T2D retina, but low in the NVMs, while angiogenesis transcription factors, including ETS1 and ERG, were coordinately upregulated in NVMs. CONCLUSIONS. This study described a PDR neovascularization model in which pathological retina-secreted vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) enhanced the expression of a set of angiogenesis transcription factors and growth factors, to cooperatively induce the retinal neovascularization. Based on these results, novel potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers for PDR treatment and diagnosis are suggested.

Objective-MicroRNA-126 (miR-126) is an endothelium-enriched miRNA and functions in vascular integrity and angiogenesis. The application of miRNA as potential biomarker and therapy target has been widely investigated in various pathological processes. However, its role in lymphatic diseases had not been widely explored. We aimed to reveal the role of miR-126 in lymphangiogenesis and the regulatory signaling pathways for potential targets of therapy. Approach and Results-Loss-of-function studies using morpholino oligonucleotides and CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9) system showed that silencing of miR-126a severely affected the formation of parachordal lymphangioblasts and thoracic duct in zebrafish embryos, although their development in miR-126b knockdown embryos was normal. Expression analyses by in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence indicated that miR-126a was expressed in lymphatic vessels, as well as in blood vessels. Time-lapse confocal imaging assay further revealed that knockdown of miR-126a blocked both lymphangiogenic sprouts budding from the posterior cardinal vein and lymphangioblasts extension along horizontal myoseptum. Bioinformatics analysis and in vivo report assay identified that miR-126a upregulated Cxcl12a by targeting its 5' untranslated region. Moreover, loss-and gain-of-function studies revealed that Cxcl12a signaling acted downstream of miR-126a during parachordal lymphangioblast extension, whereby Flt4 signaling acts as a cooperator of miR-126a, allowing it to modulate lymphangiogenic sprout formation. Conclusions-These findings demonstrate that miR-126a directs lymphatic endothelial cell sprouting and extension by interacting with Cxcl12a-mediated chemokine signaling and Vegfc-Flt4 signal axis. Our results suggest that these key regulators of lymphangiogenesis may be involved in lymphatic pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases.