The mechanisms that control blood vessel formation are incompletely understood. Sylvain Chemtob and his colleagues now find that blood vessel formation in mouse and rat retinas is controlled by succinate generated during hypoxic and ischemic conditions. Succinate acting through its receptor, GPR91, on retinal ganglion neurons, triggers secretion of canonical proangiogenic factors and the formation of new blood vessels to reinstate adequate tissue supply. This work also identifies GPR91 as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of ischemic retinopathies.
- Przemyslaw Sapieha
- Mirna Sirinyan
- Sylvain Chemtob
