Counterbalance: modulation of VEGF/VEGFR activities by TNFSF15

Vascular hyperpermeability occurs in angiogenesis and several pathobiological conditions, producing elevated interstitial fluid pressure and lymphangiogenesis. How these closely related events are modulated is a fundamentally important question regarding the maintenance of vascular homeostasis and treatment of disease conditions such as cancer, stroke, and myocardial infarction. Signals mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, noticeably VEGFR-1, -2, and -3, are centrally involved in the promotion of both blood vessel and lymphatic vessel growth. These signaling pathways are counterbalanced or, in the case of VEGFR3, augmented by signals induced by tumor necrosis factor superfamily-15 (TNFSF15). TNFSF15 can simultaneously downregulate membrane-bound VEGFR1 and upregulate soluble VEGFR1, thus changing VEGF/VEGFR1 signals from pro-angiogenic to anti-angiogenic. In addition, TNFSF15 inhibits VEGF-induced VEGFR2 phosphorylation, thereby curbing VEGFR2-mediated enhancement of vascular permeability. Third, and perhaps more interestingly, TNFSF15 is capable of stimulating VEGFR3 gene expression in lymphatic endothelial cells, thus augmenting VEGF-C/D-VEGFR3-facilitated lymphangiogenesis. We discuss the intertwining relationship between the actions of TNFSF15 and VEGF in this review.