VEGFA and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: VEGF is the most potent mediator of angiogenesis (Carmeliet et al. 1996; Ng et al. 2001), and it plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of common respiratory disorders, including acute lung injury, asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer (Papaioannou et al. 2006).