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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

In Vitro Model of Coronary Angiogenesis
08:03

In Vitro Model of Coronary Angiogenesis

Published on: March 10, 2020

Fibroblast growth factor signals regulate a wave of Hedgehog activation that is essential for coronary vascular

Kory J Lavine1, Andrew C White, Changwon Park

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology, Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.

Genes & Development
|June 17, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Hedgehog (HH) signaling is crucial for embryonic coronary development. Activating HH signaling promotes new blood vessel growth in the heart, offering a potential therapy for ischemic heart disease.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Signaling

Background:

  • Ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction are leading causes of death globally.
  • Current therapies focus on increasing cardiac blood flow, but pharmacological induction of coronary growth has yielded disappointing results.
  • Exploring embryonic development pathways may reveal novel therapeutic targets for coronary neovascularization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify novel signaling pathways regulating embryonic coronary vascular development.
  • To investigate the roles of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and Hedgehog (HH) signaling in this process.
  • To assess the therapeutic potential of HH signaling for coronary neovascularization.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized genetically engineered mice and an ex vivo organ culture system.
  • Investigated the interplay between FGF and HH signaling pathways.
  • Analyzed the expression of key angiogenic factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (Vegf) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang2).

Main Results:

  • Identified redundant roles for Fgfr1 and Fgfr2 in mediating FGF's indirect promotion of coronary growth.
  • Demonstrated that myocardial FGF signaling triggers essential HH pathway activation.
  • Showed that HH signaling is necessary for coronary vascular development and sufficient to promote growth and rescue FGF-deficiency defects.
  • Confirmed that activating HH signaling in adult hearts increases coronary vessel density.

Conclusions:

  • Hedgehog (HH) signaling is an essential regulator of coronary vascular development.
  • HH signaling activation is a promising therapeutic strategy for promoting coronary neovascularization.
  • Targeting HH pathways could offer new treatments for ischemic heart disease.

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