Angiogenesis and G-protein-coupled receptors: signals that bridge the gap

Angiogenesis is a mechanism that has repercussions in a number of physiolog ical and pathological situations. Vascular endothelial growth factor and ba sic fibroblast growth factor have understandably received enormous research coverage for being the major mediators of new blood vessel growth, often o vershadowing other agonist that also have strong angiogenic potential. We w ish to put the spotlight on GPCR agonists that undoubtedly have their word to say on the subject of angiogenesis. In this short review, we will discus s our findings along with the work from other groups on the mechanisms by w hich GPCR agonists, like thrombin and angiotensin II, control a number of a ngiogenic signals. A complete understanding of these mechanisms could, by t he design of new therapeutic strategies, have a strong impact in clinical o ncology.