Working out how to prevent abnormal blood vessel growth

The role of LRG1 in promoting disorganised neovascularisation

Professor John Greenwood and his team at University College London are studying how to prevent uncontrolled growth of abnormal blood vessels, which is a feature of several conditions, including cancer, atherosclerosis, arthritis and eye disease. These abnormal blood vessels are damaging as they can contribute towards disease. Although there has been some progress in preventing abnormal vessel growth using drugs, many patients still fail to respond well to treatment. Also, rather than prevent vessel growth entirely, it may sometimes be better to promote normal, regulated vessel growth. Professor Greenwood has discovered that the amounts of a molecule called LRG1 are higher in many diseases. LRG1 promotes abnormal blood vessel growth and corrupts normal vessel growth, causing blood vessels to grow in a chaotic way. He has found that blocking the action of LRG1 reduces abnormal blood vessel growth and reduces formation of irregular vessels. In this project, he will investigate in detail how LRG1 promotes abnormal blood vessel formation and whether removing or blocking LRG1 restores normal blood vessel growth. This research will reveal more about the biological mechanisms underlying LRG1’s blood vessel growth properties and could reveal a new way to normalise blood vessel growth and improve blood vessel function using drugs.