Neuropilins: role in signalling, angiogenesis and disease

Neuropilins (NRPs) are co-receptors for class 3 semaphorins and for members of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of angiogenic cytokines. Genetic analysis of the role of NRPs in mice shows that NRP1 is essential for embryonic neuronal pathfinding and cardiovascular development, mediated via semaphorins and VEGF, respectively, while NRP2 has a more restricted role in neuronal patterning and lymphangiogenesis. NRPs are thought to mediate functional responses, most importantly cell migration, as a result of complex formation with other receptors, such as plexins in the case of semaphorins and the VEGF receptor, VEGFR2, resulting in enhanced signalling via some intracellular pathways. Recent findings indicate that NRPs may have important biological roles in other physiological and disease-related processes. In particular, NRPs are highly expressed in diverse tumour cell lines and human neoplasms and have been implicated in several biological processes regulating tumour growth in vivo, suggesting that NRP1 may be a future therapeutic target in cancer.