Vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptor 2 (VEGF-R2) are closely related to angiogenesis in glioma. A number of phosphorylated sites, such as Y801, Y951, Y1175, and Y1214 in the VEGF-R2 intracellular domains mediate critical signal transductions, including PI3K/AKT, MAPK, and PKC pathways. Main functions of VEGF-R2 include increasing the expression of VEGF and inducing tumor angiogenesis. In addition, VEGF plays a role in promoting vascular endothelial cell division and angiogenesis through VEGF-R2 and is also involved in promoting the aggressive growth of tumors. In the kidney, VEGF is almost exclusively expressed in glomerular and tubular epithelial cells, while the VEGF-R2 is mainly present in glomerular and tubular endothelial cells, as well as in interstitial cells. The present study shows that VEGF-R2 overexpression in advanced thyroid cancer maintains cancer malignancy and cell survival. Thus, selective targeting of VEGFR2/KDR signaling may be a potential strategy for advanced thyroid cancer treatment.
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