Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs), also known as vasculotropins, are a family of closely related growth factors having a conserved pattern of eight cysteine residues and sharing common VEGF receptors. VEGFs stimulate the proliferation of endothelial cells, induce angiogenesis, promote cell migration, increase vascular permeability, and inhibit apoptosis. The mitogenic activity of VEGFs appears to be mediated by specific VEGF receptors. The target cell specificity of VEGF is restrict