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GeneE
26 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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PGF
placental growth factor
Chromosome 14 · 14q24.3
NCBI Gene: 5228Ensembl: ENSG00000119630.14HGNC: HGNC:8893UniProt: G3XA84
429PubMed Papers
20Diseases
3Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
RESEARCH IMPACT
Highly Studied
CLINICAL
FDA Approved Target
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
positive regulation of cell population proliferationgrowth factor activityprotein bindingsprouting angiogenesisdiabetic macular edemawet macular degenerationmacular retinal edemaretinal vein occlusion
✦AI Summary

Placental growth factor (PGF) is a pro-angiogenic growth factor that promotes vascular endothelial cell proliferation and migration through binding to FLT1/VEGFR-1 and neuropilin receptors 1. PGF isoform PlGF-2 binds neuropilin-1 and neuropilin-2 in a heparin-dependent manner, with expression patterns varying across cell types and disease contexts 2. Mechanistically, PGF drives angiogenesis via distinct pathways depending on cellular context. In diabetic retinopathy, PGF2α promotes retinal endothelial cell proliferation and tube formation through the PGF2α/PTGFR axis, activating Gq/CAMK2G/p38/ELK-1/FOS signaling to upregulate pro-angiogenic chemokines 3. Additionally, PGF2α induces inflammatory responses in retinal cells through FP receptor signaling 4. Clinically, PGF exhibits significant disease relevance. In bladder cancer, PGF functions as a key pro-angiogenic factor alongside VEGFA, with VEGFR1 being more highly expressed than VEGFR2 in tumor endothelial cells 1. Combined inhibition of PGF and VEGFA synergistically suppresses tumor growth and angiogenesis while enhancing CD8+ T cell infiltration, improving survival when combined with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy 1. In breast cancer, elevated PLGF-1 and neuropilin expression correlate with poor prognosis 2. These findings suggest PGF inhibition represents a novel therapeutic target for pathological angiogenesis-driven diseases.

Sources cited
1
PGF is a pro-angiogenic factor in bladder cancer; suppression of PGF reduces tumor angiogenesis and synergizes with VEGFA inhibition and anti-PD-1 therapy
PMID: 39628692
2
PGF2α promotes retinal endothelial cell proliferation via PTGFR and Gq/CAMK2G/p38/ELK-1/FOS pathway; PTGFR inhibition attenuates oxygen-induced retinopathy
PMID: 36511116
3
PGF2α stimulates inflammatory responses in retinal endothelial cells through FP receptor signaling in diabetic retinopathy
PMID: 39716241
4
PLGF isoforms (PLGF-1, PGF-2) and neuropilin receptor show aberrant expression in breast cancer; high levels correlate with poor prognosis
PMID: 20043119
⚠Limited data available — This gene has 4 indexed publications. Summary and analysis may be incomplete.
Disease Associationsⓘ20
diabetic macular edemaOpen Targets
0.60Moderate
wet macular degenerationOpen Targets
0.60Moderate
macular retinal edemaOpen Targets
0.59Moderate
retinal vein occlusionOpen Targets
0.59Moderate
choroidal neovascularizationOpen Targets
0.58Moderate
diabetic retinopathyOpen Targets
0.57Moderate
macular degenerationOpen Targets
0.56Moderate
metastatic colorectal cancerOpen Targets
0.49Moderate
colorectal cancerOpen Targets
0.49Moderate
pathological myopiaOpen Targets
0.46Moderate
age-related macular degenerationOpen Targets
0.42Moderate
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.42Moderate
colorectal neoplasmOpen Targets
0.39Weak
colorectal adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.37Weak
ocular vascular diseaseOpen Targets
0.37Weak
edemaOpen Targets
0.37Weak
myopiaOpen Targets
0.37Weak
retinopathy of prematurityOpen Targets
0.36Weak
neovascular glaucomaOpen Targets
0.33Weak
acute pancreatitisOpen Targets
0.31Weak
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Drug Targets3
AFLIBERCEPTApproved
Placenta growth factor inhibitor
macular degeneration
CONBERCEPTPhase III
Vascular endothelial growth factor B inhibitor
diabetic macular edema
TB-403Phase II
Placenta growth factor inhibitor
Related Genes
METProtein interaction100%EGFRProtein interaction98%FN1Protein interaction97%SPP1Protein interaction96%IGF1RProtein interaction96%NRP1Protein interaction95%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Heart
100%
Lung
77%
Brain
70%
Liver
69%
Ovary
38%
Bone Marrow
8%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
PGFMETEGFRFN1SPP1IGF1RNRP1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB1FZV · 2.00 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.78LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.15Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.45 [0.27–0.78]
RankingsWhere PGF stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #652of 20,598
    Most Researched429 · top 5%
  • #751of 1,025
    FDA-Approved Drug Targets1
  • #6,415of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.78
Genes detectedPGF
Sources retrieved26 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
26▼
1
Placental interferons.
PMID: 8739445
Am J Reprod Immunol · 1996
1.00
2
Cyclooxygenase and Cancer: Fundamental Molecular Investigations.
PMID: 37569718
Int J Mol Sci · 2023
0.90
3
PGF
PMID: 36511116
EMBO Mol Med · 2023
0.80
4
Specific PGF(2alpha) receptor (FP) antagonism and human uterine contractility in vitro.
PMID: 16045514
BJOG · 2005
0.72
5
Co-inhibition of PGF and VEGFA enhances the effectiveness of immunotherapy in bladder cancer.
PMID: 39628692
Int J Med Sci · 2024
0.70