Hedgehog Protein Found to Aid Formation of New Blood Vessels

A study has demonstrated that a signaling pathway controlled by the Hedgehog protein plays a crucial role in promoting the development of new blood vessels following tissue injury caused by deprivation of oxygen, suggesting potential therapeutic applications for the pathway.

The study, conducted by researchers at Saint Elizabeth's Medical Center (Boston, MA, USA), was published in the July 17, 2003, issue of Circulation. The researchers showed that the Hedgehog pathway is activated after tissue damage and controls the formation of new blood vessels. Drug-like small molecules that can turn the Hedgehog pathway on or off have been developed by Curis, Inc. (Cambridge, MA, USA), therapeutic drug-development company.

"This strongly positions Curis in terms of developing drug candidates for disorders where one would want either to promote new blood vessel development, as in certain cardiovascular diseases, or where one would want to halt inappropriate blood vessel development, such as for macular degeneration or certain forms of cancer,” noted Dr. Lee Rubin, chief scientific officer of Curis.

The approach taken by Curis in drug development is that certain pathways responsible for the initial formation of tissue and organs are reactivated later in adult life in response to stress, injury, or disease. By developing compounds that control these pathways, Curis has been able to assemble a substantial portfolio of drug candidates to treat a wide array of diseases and disorders.