IMR Press / FBL / Volume 13 / Issue 17 / DOI: 10.2741/3169

Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark (FBL) is published by IMR Press from Volume 26 Issue 5 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Article
The normal cellular prion protein and its possible role in angiogenesis
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1 Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Bellvitge (HUB), Fundacio IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain
2 Cardiovascular Research Centre, CSIC-ICCC, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau,Barcelona, Spain
3 School of Biology, Chemistry and Health Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
4 Department of Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Bellvitge (HUB), Barcelona, Spain, 4 Department of Pathology, Stopford building, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

 

Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2008, 13(17), 6491–6500; https://doi.org/10.2741/3169
Published: 1 May 2008
Abstract

Cellular Prion Protein (PrPc) is a ubiquitous glycoprotein present on the surface of endothelial cells. Resting vascular endothelial cells show minimum expression of PrPc and can constitutively release PrPc. PrPc participes in cell survival, differentiation and angiogenesis. During development, neonatal brain endothelial cells transiently express PrPc. Our group recently reported upregulation of PrPc in microvessels from ischemic brain regions in stroke patients. Ischemia/hypoxia induces PrPc expression through the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). All these data suggest that PrPc plays an important role in angiogenic responses. In addition, PrPc participates in cellular function in the central nervous system, since PrPc is also highly expressed in neurons. PrPc binds copper, suggesting a role in copper metabolism. PrPc also protects cells against oxidative stress and it seems to be involved in neuroprotection. Several studies have demonstrated that PrPc prevents cells from apoptosis and subsequent tissue damage. Moreover, PrPc plays an important role in the immune response. Here, we review the multiple functions of PrPc with a special attention to its recently reported role in angiogenesis.

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