On the other hand, the low levels of MEOX2 specifically found in brain endothelial cells isolated from AD patients have been shown to mediate aberrant angiogenic responses of human brain endothelium to angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), both in vivo and in vitro, leading to premature capillary pruning [48]. Here, MEOX2 is linked to Alzheimer disease.