Chiara Poluzzi

TL;DR: A mechanism for a secreted proteoglycan in inducing Peg3, a master regulator of macroautophagy in endothelial cells is unveiled, providing a paradigmatic shift for other soluble matrix constituents to regulate autophagy.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that both perlecan and endorepellin bind directly and with high affinity to both VEGF receptors 1 and 2, in a region that differs from VEGFA-binding site, and hypothesized that a mechanism such as dual receptor antagonism could operate for other angiostatic fragments.

TL;DR: Cleaved fragments of extracellular matrix proteoglycans are emerging as key players in the modulation of angiogenesis and endothelial cell autophagy, and Manipulation of these endogenously-processed forms could represent new therapeutic approaches for cancer eradication.

TL;DR: CD44 is a novel signaling co-receptor for biglycan, an interaction that is required for TLR4-CD44-dependent pro-autophagic activity in macrophages and could represent a promising therapeutic intervention to curtail kidney inflammation and damage.

TL;DR: A new role is identified for this endogenous angiostatic fragment in inducing autophagy through a VEGFR2-dependent but α2β1 integrin-independent pathway and this novel mechanism specifically targets endothelial cells and could represent a promising new strategy to potentiate the angiastatic effect of endorepellin and perhaps other angiOSTatic matrix proteins.