Beneficial effects of vascular endothelial growth factor B gene transfer in the aged heart.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Members of the VEGF family are crucial modulators of vascular and neural function. While VEGFA signalling has been shown to mitigate several aging-related cardiac phenotypes and prolong survival in aged mice, the role of VEGFB in cardiac aging remains underexplored. In this study, we identify a significant decline in Vegfb expression, particularly of its soluble isoform Vegfb186, in aged mouse and human hearts. To assess the therapeutic potential of VEGFB in aging-associated cardiac pathologies, we used AAV9-mediated gene transfer to overexpress Vegfb186 in 18-month-old male C57Bl/6J mice.

Methods and results

VEGFB is known to exhibit vascular and neuroprotective effects that we assessed in the ageing heart. In the aged heart, doses of Vegfb186 overexpression that had o

SUBMITTER: Manickam N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12391667 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature