Invitrogen™ VEGF Receptor 3/FLT4 Human ELISA Kit

Description

The main function of the lymphatic system is to return plasma back to the circulating blood. Plasma fluid, macromolecules and cells, such as leucocytes and activated antigen-presenting cells, enter the blind-ended lymphatic vessels. Lymph is then transported toward collecting lymphatic vessels and is returned to the blood circulation. Scientific studies over the past years have revealed a signal-transduction system for lymphatic endothelial cell growth, migration and survival. This system is formed by VEGF-C and VEGF-D and their shared receptor VEGFR-3/FLT-4. Homozygous deletion of VEGFR-3 in mice leads to defects in blood-vessel remodelling and embryonic death at mid-gestation, indicating an early vascular function for the receptor. Furthermore mouse studies suggest that upregulation and activation of VEGFR-3 have functional roles in sprouting angiogenesis and that VEGFR-3 is an important effector of the vascular phenotype resulting from Notch inhibition. In lymphoma patients, high expression of VEGFR-3 can been found in lymph endothelial cells isolated from the tumour tissue.