Advancement in the research on vascular endothelial growth inhibitor (VEGI)

Vascular endothelial growth inhibitor (VEGI), also known as tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 15 or TNF ligand-related molecule 1, is identified as one kind of antiangiogenic cytokine that belongs to the tumor necrosis factor superfamily. VEGI includes three isoforms: VEGI-174, VEGI-192, and VEGI-251. VEGI can activate multiple signaling pathways including nuclear factor-kappaB, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Moreover, it suppresses endothelial cell proliferation, angiopoiesis, and tumor growth. Genetic engineering techniques have been used to produce recombinant human vascular endothelial growth inhibitor, and great progress has been made in its application for curing cancer. VEGI could serve as a potential target in the development of angiogenesis-based cancer therapy, and this paper briefly summarizes the progress of the research on VEGI.