Absence of transcription factor unleashes blood vessel growth
Blood vessels play an important role throughout life. Their growth determines whether organs are supplied with sufficient nutrients in a timely manner during embryonic development. When blood vessel growth is impaired, it can be a decisive factor contributing to the development of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, partners of the DZHK site in Frankfurt Rhein-Main, have now discovered a key switch for blood vessel formation – the transcription factor FoxO1 which regulates the growth and metabolic activity of the innermost layer of cells in the blood vessel wall. These findings could serve as a basis for new therapies for diseases in which blood vessel growth plays a role. The results of the study have been published in the renowned scientific journal Nature.