Integrin α5β1-Ang1/Tie2 receptor cross-talk regulates brain endothelial cell responses following cerebral ischemia

Abstract

Stroke: Interacting signals promote new blood vessel formation Interactions between two molecular signaling systems on the surface of brain blood vessel cells may regulate the response to cerebral ischemic (CI) strokes, in which the blood supply and hence oxygen to part of the brain is interrupted by blockages, such as blood clots. Researchers led by Longxuan Li at Gongli Hospital, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, and Richard Milner at the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, USA, used mice and cultured cells to study these interactions. The results suggest that the cell surface receptor proteins that mediate both signaling systems localize in the same area of blood cell membranes in response to a CI stroke. Molecular “cross-talk” between these systems may promote the formation of new blood vessels to repair the damage caused by a stroke. These insights could assist development of drugs to treat CI strokes.