What is the role of VEGF in the kidney in health and disease?.

The renal glomerulus is responsible for filtering fluid into the renal tubular system. This requires a high permeability to water, but a restriction to protein movement. VEGF, a potent angiogenic factor, is highly expressed in adult glomerular epithelial cells (podocytes), and yet angiogenesis does not appear to be prevalent. The reasons for this are not yet clear. A literature search of VEGF and glomerulus provides relatively few papers (91), many of which are concerned with kidney development. For this library project summarise, criticise and analyse the available literature to evaluate the role of VEGF in the adult renal glomerulus in health and disease.

Starter references.

Satchell & Mathieson J Nephrol (2003)16(2):168-78

Foster et al, Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2003 Jun;284(6):F1263-73

Masuda et al. Am J Pathol. 2001 Aug;159(2):599-608.