NRPs
Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) (MIM.602069) and neuropilin-2 (NRP2) (MIM.602070) are transmembrane VEGF receptors (see VEGFRs and NRPs).
NRPs were initially identified on neuronal cells as receptors for class 3 semaphorins (SEMAs). The NRP1 and NRP2 receptors (NRP2 shares 47% homology with NRP1) are VEGF co-receptors that specifically enhance the interaction of VEGF with VEGFR2.
Pathology
The function of NRP1 and NRP2 in carcinomas is not well known; however, NRP1 overexpression is a marker of aggressiveness in prostate cancer in vivo and increases angiogenesis in colon and pancreatic cancer in vitro.
See also
NRPs: NRP1, NRP2
References
Osada R, Horiuchi A, Kikuchi N, Ohira S, Ota M, Katsuyama Y, Konishi I. Expression of semaphorins, vascular endothelial growth factor, and their common receptor neuropilins and alleic loss of semaphorin locus in epithelial ovarian neoplasms: increased ratio of vascular endothelial growth factor to semaphorin is a poor prognostic factor in ovarian carcinomas. Hum Pathol. 2006 Nov;37(11):1414-25. PMID: #17010410#
References
Hansel DE, Wilentz RE, Yeo CJ, Schulick RD, Montgomery E, Maitra A. Expression of neuropilin-1 in high-grade dysplasia, invasive cancer, and metastases of the human gastrointestinal tract. Am J Surg Pathol. 2004 Mar;28(3):347-56. PMID: #15104297#
Neuropilins: structure, function and role in disease. Pellet-Many C, Frankel P, Jia H, Zachary I. Biochem J. 2008 Apr 15;411(2):211-26. PMID: #18363553#
Neuropilin structure governs VEGF and semaphorin binding and regulates angiogenesis. Geretti E, Shimizu A, Klagsbrun M. Angiogenesis. 2008;11(1):31-9. PMID: #18283547#
Targeting endothelial and tumor cells with semaphorins. Bielenberg DR, Klagsbrun M. Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2007 Dec;26(3-4):421-31. PMID: #17768598#
Neuropilins: novel targets for anti-angiogenesis therapies. Geretti E, Klagsbrun M. Cell Adh Migr. 2007 Apr;1(2):56-61. PMID: #19329879#
Neuropilins in neoplasms: expression, regulation, and function. Bielenberg DR, Pettaway CA, Takashima S, Klagsbrun M. Exp Cell Res. 2006 Mar 10;312(5):584-93. PMID: #16445911#
Class 3 semaphorin signaling: the end of a dogma. Potiron V, Roche J. Sci STKE. 2005 May 24;2005(285):pe24. PMID: #15914725#
Roles of neuropilins in neuronal development, angiogenesis, and cancers. Chen C, Li M, Chai H, Yang H, Fisher WE, Yao Q. World J Surg. 2005 Mar;29(3):271-5. PMID: #15696396#
The role of neuropilin in vascular and tumor biology. Klagsbrun M, Takashima S, Mamluk R. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2002;515:33-48; PMID: #12613541#