An alternative way of shutting down blood-vessel growth could lead to better therapies for certain inflammatory and eye diseases.

Stopping the growth of blood vessels is important for treating several diseases, and some therapies aim to block it by inhibiting a protein called VEGF. Peter Carmeliet of the University of Leuven in Belgium and his colleagues found another target: a protein called PFKFB3, which is involved in the breakdown of sugars and helps blood vessels to form.

In embryos of zebrafish (Danio rerio), blocking PFKFB3 with a chemical inhibitor reduced vessel sprouting and enhanced the effects of a VEGF-blocking compound. The PFKFB3 inhibitor also hindered vessel growth in mouse models of inflammatory disorders and age-related macular degeneration, a condition that can cause blindness.

Cell Metab. http://doi.org/qhb (2013)