Angiogenesis is the growth process of new blood vessels from pre-existing one’s. It’s a normal physiological process, observed during embryonic development. But it’s also a pathological process, essentially in the growth of malignant tumors and metastasis development.
Cytokines and growth factors are signaling molecules that control the activities of cells through intercellular communication. Numerous families of diverse molecules are categorized as cytokines and/or growth factors.
In this study, the authors investigated the modulatory effects of LIM-only protein FHL2/DRA/SLIM3 in phenotypic changes of Smooth Muscles Cells (SMC) in SMC-rich lesion formation.
They have found that FHL2 regulates SMC’s functions during vascular proliferative diseases by modulating Cyclin D1 expression via ERK 1/2 signaling pathway.
Congratulations to the authors, who turned to tebu-bio’s range of products when selecting their growth factors to culture aortic SMC for in vitro scratch-wound and migration assays.
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Source: Karakula K. et al. “The LIM-Only Protein FHL2 Reduces Vascular Lesion Formation Involving Inhibition of Proliferation and Migration of Smooth Muscle Cells” (2014) 9(4): e94931. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094931
