Pleiotropy of tissue-specific growth factors: from neurons to vessels via the bone marrow
J. Clin. Invest. Dan G. Duda, et al. 115:596 doi:10.1172/JCI24511 [Go to this article.]

Figure 2
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of BDNF-induced neovascularization. BDNF was recently implicated in new vessel formation, in both mouse embryos (8) and adult mice (10). In adults, the formation of new vessels in response to BDNF overexpression is the result of both direct effects on TrkB expressed by tissue-resident ECs and the recruitment of TrkB⁺VEGFR2⁺CD11b⁺Sca1⁺ myeloid HPCs. The latter cells may indirectly promote neovascularization by releasing various factors, including Ang2 and MMPs. Nevertheless, a direct involvement of myeloid HPCs in vessel formation cannot be excluded, as they also have the potential to acquire an EC or mural cell (MC) phenotype.