Paper spotlight – Simultaneous Boron Ion‐Channel/Growth Factor Receptor Activation for Enhanced Vascularization. Patricia Rico et al. Advanced Biosystems 2019.
We described a new crosstalk and colocalization mechanism between Boron ion receptots and VEGFR receptors. The simultaneous stimulation of these membrane receptors promotes angiogenesis in the presence of ultralow doses of ligand, simulating physiological levels, and opens new strategies to design biomaterials that avoid the use of supraphysiological doses of growth factors controlling critical target receptors instead.
Addition of boron ion activates the boron transporter (NaBC1) transmembrane protein. Active NaBC1 physically co-localize with other transmembrane proteins, such as active VEGFR, leading to simultaneous enhanced intracellular signaling. This paper advanced the understanding of the interplay between specific cell membrane receptors in order to mimic the biological niche at molecular level. This is of direct application to biomaterial based therapeutic strategies for vascularization, that can therefore design cell matrices with ions to potentiate growth factors even at ultra low doses, and minimise their adverse effects.
This paper was featured with a journal cover picture that shows an illustration of the boron transporter (NaBC1) transmembrane protein.
