Progress in the Study of the Role and Mechanism of HTRA1 in Diseases Related to Vascular Abnormalities

Shina Song,1,2 Xiaofeng Li,1 Xuting Xue,3 Wenping Dong,2 Changxin Li1 1Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Geriatrics, General Hospital of TISCO, Taiyuan, People’s Republic of China; 3Shanxi Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Cancer, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Wenping Dong, Department of Geriatrics, General Hospital of TISCO, North Street, Xinhualing District, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, 030009, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13703581782, Email tgzyydwp@163.com Changxin Li, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Jiefangnan Road 85, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, 030001, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13834635428, Email dslcxyx@126.comAbstract: High temperature requirement A1 (HTRA1) is a member of the serine protease family, comprising four structural domains: IGFBP domain, Kazal domain, protease domain and PDZ domain. HTRA1 encodes a serine protease, a secreted protein that is widely expressed in the vasculature. HTRA1 regulates a wide range of physiological processes through its proteolytic activity, and is also involved in a variety of vascular abnormalities-related diseases. This article reviews the role of HTRA1 in the development of vascular abnormalities-related hereditary cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), tumors and other diseases. Through relevant research advances to understand the role of HTRA1 in regulating signaling pathways or refolding, translocation, degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, thus directly or indirectly regulating angiogenesis, vascular remodeling, and playing an important role in vascular homeostasis, further understanding the mechanism of HTRA1’s role in vascular abnormality-related diseases is important for HTRA1 to be used as a therapeutic target in related diseases.Keywords: HTRA1, vascular anomalies, cerebral small vessel disease, AMD, tumor