Vascular Growth Factors and Glomerular Disease

The glomerulus is a highly specialized microvascular bed that filters blood to form primary urinary filtrate. It contains four cell types: fenestrated endothelial cells, specialized vascular support cells termed podocytes, perivascular mesangial cells, and parietal epithelial cells. Glomerular cell-cell communication is critical for the development and maintenance of the glomerular filtration barrier. VEGF, ANGPT, EGF, SEMA3A, TGF-beta, and CXCL12 signal in paracrine fashions between the podocytes, endothelium, and mesangium associated with the glomerular capillary bed to maintain filtration barrier function. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of these signaling pathways in the development and maintenance of the glomerulus and the progression of disease.