1. Figure 7 VEGF as a mediator of neuroinflammatory disease
Figure 7 | VEGF as a mediator of neuroinflammatory disease. a | Healthy brain vessels possess a functional blood–brain barrier (BBB) to support the cells of the surrounding brain parenchyma, while protecting it from immune cells and harmful substances in the blood. b | At early stages of neuroinflammatory disease, vessel barriers become weakened, allowing egress of immune cells that attack targets such as aquaporin-4-positive BBB-associated astrocytes in the case of neuromyelitis optica (NMO), or oligodendrocytes in multiple sclerosis (MS). Activated microglia secrete IL-1β, which induces vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in astrocytes. c | Prolonged VEGF elevation increases angiogenic sprouting and causes breakdown of the BBB, a hallmark of advanced stages of neuroinflammatory disease. Inflammatory reactions against the respective target cells (BBB-associated astrocytes in NMO; oligodendrocytes in MS) cause death of the target cells and secondary neuronal apoptosis.
Lange, C. et al. (2016) Vascular endothelial growth factor: a neurovascular target in neurological diseases
Nat. Rev. Neurol. doi: /nrneurol