Introduction One essential requirement for solid tumor growth is the ability to acquire an adequate blood supply; therefore, tumor vasculature is in a perpetual state of angiogenesis. Integrin αvβ3 is a well-established biomarker for angiogenesis with overexpression in tumor vasculature and low to no expression in resting endothelial cells. Non-invasive assessment of tumor angiogenesis is impor...

Abstract RATIONALE Innovative treatment strategies are urgently needed to improve the prognosis of glioblastoma patients. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has shown great success in hematological malignancies. However, it remains be that CAR cells also active against solid tumors. αv integrins overexpressed gliomas and have already been used as therapeutic targets for small molecu...

The rational design, synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation of dual action conjugates 11-13, containing a tumour targeting, integrin αvβ3/αvβ5 ligand portion and a pro-apoptotic SMAC mimetic portion (cyclo-RGD/SMAC mimetic conjugates) are reported. The binding strength of the two separate units is generally maintained by these dual action conjugates. In particular, the connection between ...

We previously showed that the kringle domains of plasmin and angiostatin, the N-terminal four kringles (K1-4) of plasminogen, directly bind to integrins. Angiostatin blocks tumor-mediated angiogenesis and has great therapeutic potential. Angiostatin binding to integrins may be related to the antiinflammatory action of angiostatin. We reported that plasmin induces signals through protease-activa...

The interplay between specific integrin-mediated matrix adhesion and directional persistence in cell migration is not well understood. Here, we characterized fibroblast adhesion and migration on the extracellular matrix glycoproteins fibronectin and vitronectin, focusing on the role of α5β1 and αvβ3 integrins. Fibroblasts manifested high directional persistence in migration on fibronectin-, but...

Reestablishing tissue organization of breast cancer cells into acini was previously shown to override their malignant phenotype. In our study, we demonstrate that alpha(v)beta(3) integrin (Int-αvβ3), previously shown to play a role in cancer progression, promoted differentiation and growth arrest of organoids derived from luminal A breast cancer cells grown in their relevant three-dimensional m...

The small intestine has an underappreciated role as a lipid storage organ. Under conditions of high dietary fat intake, enterocytes can minimize the extent of postprandial lipemia by storing newly absorbed dietary fat in cytoplasmic lipid droplets. Lipid droplets can be subsequently mobilized for the production of chylomicrons. The mechanisms that regulate this process are poorly understood. We...

Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) has been studied for decades on its role in cancer metabolism. Re-cently, PKM2 is highlighted again for its new function: promoting gene transcription by acting as a pro-tein kinase. Moreover, the PKM2 levels in patient circulation have been used as a diagnostic marker formany types of cancers. However, it remains unclear whether PKM2 in blood circulati...