California Institute of Technology

The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

Hai U Wang

David J Anderson

Zhoufeng Chen

Donghun Shin

Michael A Gimbrone, Jr

Guillermo Garcia-Cardena

Arterial and venous endothelial cells are molecularly distinct from the earliest stages of angiogenesis. This distinction is revealed by expression on arterial cells of a transmembrane ligand, called EphrinB2 whose receptor EphB4 is expressed on venous cells. Targeted disruption of the EphrinB2 gene prevents the remodeling of veins from a capillary plexus into properly branched structures. Moreover, it also disrupts the remodeling of arteries, suggesting that reciprocal interactions between pre-specified arterial and venous endothelial cells are necessary for angiogenesis. This distinction can be used to advantage in methods to alter angiogenesis, methods to assess the effect of drugs on artery cells and vein cells, and methods to identify and isolate artery cells and vein cells, for example.

Artery- and vein-specific proteins and uses therefor

Arterial and venous endothelial cells are molecularly distinct from the earliest stages of angiogenesis. This distinction is revealed by expression on arterial cells of a transmembrane ligand, called EphrinB2 whose receptor EphB4 is expressed on venous cells. Targeted disruption of the EphrinB2 gene prevents the remodeling of veins from a capillary plexus into properly branched structures. Moreover, it also disrupts the remodeling of arteries, suggesting that reciprocal interactions between pre-specified arterial and venous endothelial cells are necessary for angiogenesis.

The disclosure provides, among other things, novel angiogenesis-related nucleic acids, polypeptides and methods of use.

Method for inhibiting pro-angiogenic activities of endothelial cells selectively at a site of neoangiogenesis in a mammal by administration of the extracellular domain of D1-1 polypeptides

Artery-and vein-specific proteins and uses therefor

Method for inhibiting angiogenesis by administration of the extracellular domain of D1-1 polypeptide

Arterial and venous smooth muscle cells are molecularly distinct from the earliest stages of angiogenesis through to adulthood. This distinction is revealed by expression on arterial cells (e.g., arterial endothelial cells, arterial smooth muscle cells) of a transmembrane ligand, called EphrinB2 whose receptor EphB4 is expressed on venous cells. Targeted disruption of the EphrinB2 gene prevents the remodeling of veins from a capillary plexus into properly branched structures. Moreover, it also disrupts the remodeling of arteries, suggesting that reciprocal interactions between pre-specified arterial and venous cells are necessary for angiogenesis. Expression of EphrinB2 in arterial cells (e.g., arterial endothelial cells, arterial smooth muscle cells) can be used to advantage in methods for targeting agents and/or encoded polypeptides to arterial smooth muscle cells, altering angiogenesis, assessing the effect of agents on arterial smooth muscle cells, identifying arterial smooth muscle cells, isolating arterial smooth muscle cells and production of artificial vessels, for example.

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Folsom, CA, United States of America

Hai U Wang