Is syndecan-2 a key angiogenic element?

Angiogenesis has been extensively related with the development of many different diseases, from tumor progression to cardiovascular disorders. In our last article, we demonstrated that syndecan-2, the most abundant heparan sulfate proteoglycan expressed by human microvascular endothelial cells, is regulated by proangiogenic factors and plays an important role in most of the cellular events that take place in neovascularization processes. Here, we also reported its involvement in the reorganization of the cytoskeleton and propose a key role for this proteoglycan as an adaptor protein, able to work in cooperation with the integrins in the formation of new blood vessels.