Therefore, we hypothesized that functional VEGF receptors may also be expressed in malignant counterparts of hematopoietic stem cells such as leukemias.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a specific growth factor for tumor-associated angiogenesis, and is also involved in leukemogenesis; however, its exact role in leukemia development remains elusive.
Expression of angiogenic polypeptides vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) associate with clinical characteristics in human leukemia and lymphoma, and their serum concentrations serve as predictors of poor prognosis.