Requirement of Vascular Integrin α v β 3 for Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis depends on the adhesive interactions of vascular cells. The adhesion receptor integrin α v β 3 was identified as a marker of angiogenic vascular tissue. Integrin α v β 3 was expressed on blood vessels in human wound granulation tissue but not in normal skin, and it showed a fourfold increase in expression during angiogenesis on the chick chorioallantoic membrane. In the latter assay, a monoclonal antibody to α v β 3 blocked angiogenesis induced by basic fibroblast growth factor, tumor necrosis factor-α, and human melanoma fragments but had no effect on preexisting vessels. These findings suggest that α v β 3 may be a useful therapeutic target for diseases characterized by neovascularization.