ENDOTHELIAL-CELL STIMULATING ANGIOGENESIS FACTOR

Endothelial cell stimulating angiogenesis factor (ESAF) is a small (>1 000 Da) dialysable non-peptide molecule with potent angiogenic activit y. ESAF activates the major pro-matrix metalloproteinases and also uni quely reactivates the complex of these active enzymes with their tissu e inhibitors resulting in both active enzyme and inhibitor. These acti ons may be pivotal in its role as an angiogenic factor. ESAF is primar ily involved in angiogenic conditions where inflammatory cells are not evident such as foetal bone growth and electrically stimulated skelet al muscles and proliferative retinopathy. However, high levels also oc cur in actively growing human intracranial tumours but it is not notic eably elevated in rheumatoid arthritic synovial fluid. Its extreme pot ency and low molecular mass make its structural determination difficul t. Possible therapeutic applications would be in the treatment of isch aemic ulcers, acceleration of fracture repair, infertility and more mo destly in the correction of baldness. Analogues of ESAF could be of va lue in treating angiogenic diseases such as psoriasis and proliferativ e retinopathy. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.