Description
Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR3), also known as FLT-4, together with the other two members VEGFR1 (FLT-1) and VEGFR2 (KDR/Flk-1) are receptors for vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) and belong to the class III subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). The VEGFR3 protein is expressed mainly on lymphatic vessels but it is also up-regulated in tumor angiogenesis. Mutations in VEGFR3 have been identified in patients with primary lymphoedema. The VEGF-C/VEGF-D/VEGFR3 signaling pathway may provide a target for antilymphangiogenic therapy in prostate cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and so on.