Endoglin

Endoglin (CD105) is a homodimeric glycoprotein (180 kDa) found on endothelial cells and is essential for angiogenesis processes.

Endoglin is preferentially found on endothelial cells of capillaries, veins and arteries. It acts as an accessory receptor for members of the TGF-ß family, which as growth factors have a decisive influence on the process of angiogenesis. Besides this importance, there is also evidence for an association with the formation of new blood vessels and the prognosis of neoplastic diseases. This finding has led to the development of antitumoral strategies by means of experimental applications of endoglin antibodies. The influence on ontogenesis was also postulated. Experiments with mice without the gene coding for endoglin have shown that they died due to cardiovascular abnormalities. In addition, the hypothesis was put forward that endogline plays a physiological role in the stroma-hematopoietic interaction during ontogenesis. In humans, it is known that an autosomal dominant mutation of the gene coding for endoglin plays an etiologic role in the development of type 1 teleangiectasia hereditaria haemorrhagica.