Angiogenesis plays an important role in the growth and progression of cancer. The regulation of tumor angiogenesis depends on a net balance of angiogenic factors and antiangiogenic factors, which are secreted by both tumor cells and host-infiltrating cells. Numerous studies have indicated that assessment of angiogenic activity by either microvessel density or expression of angiogenic factors in...

Angiogenesis (the recruitment and formation of new blood vessels) may be a limiting step in the growth of tumors. Recent work in animal models of human cancer suggests that even transient angiogenic signals can irreversibly block tumor dormancy, promoting tumor growth. Another report concludes that the production of an-giogenic factors may result from activation of a signaling pathway in the in...

Angiogenesis, formation of new blood vessels, is essential for tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis. 1 Vascular endo-thelial growth factors (VEGFs) and their receptors (VEGFRs) are primary regulators of angiogenesis, coordinating with other angiogenic factors such as fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), hepatic growth factor (HGF), angiopoietins, and Notch-Dll4. Anti-VEGF antibodies (e.g., ...

It is well established that progression from a pre-malignant to malignant invasive tumor phenotype is dependent on angiogenesis1-7. As such, a hallmark of all solid cancers is their ability to induce the formation of their own blood supply thereby sustaining their growth and is characterized by increases in endothelial cell (EC) proliferation and blood vessel heterogeneity8-10. The ‘angiogenic ...

Obesity is linked to increased incidence of breast cancer. The precise causes and mechanisms of these morbid relationships are unknown. Contradictory data on leptin angiogenic actions have been published. However, accumulating evidence would suggest that leptin's pro-angiogenic effects in cancer play an essential role in the disease. Leptin, the main adipokine secreted by adipose tissue, is als...

Among the earliest and most important stages during tumorigenesis is the activation of the angiogenic process, an event that is termed the "switch to the angiogenic phenotype." We have developed an in vivo system that can reliably recapitulate the stages in tumor development that represent this transition. Using this model, we have harvested and studied tumor nodules that can be distinguished f...

Vascular endothelial cells are ordinarily quiescent in adult humans and divide less than once per decade. When tumors reach a size of about 0.2-2.0mm in diameter, they become hypoxic and limited in size in the absence of angiogenesis. There are about 30 endogenous pro-angiogenic factors and about 30 endogenous anti-angiogenic factors. In order to increase in size, tumors undergo an angiogenic s...

The landmark papers published by Judah Folkman in the early 1970s on tumor angiogenesis and therapeutic implications promoted the rapid development of a very dynamic field where basic scientists, oncologists, and pharmaceutical industry joined forces to determine the molecular mechanisms in blood vessel formation and find means to exploit this knowledge in suppressing tumor vascularization and ...

Glioblastoma is one of the most common brain tumors in adults with poor prognosis, aggressiveness, and treatment resistance. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) consists of generating vascular-like channels by tumor cells, independent of endothelial angiogenesis. Studies showed in glioblastoma, the proportion of VM to all vascular channels is associated with poor prognosis and higher invasiveness levels....

The progressive conversion of normal cells into cancer cells is characterized by the acquisition of eight hallmarks. Among these criteria, the capability of the cancer cell to avoid the immune destruction has been noted. Thus, tumors develop mechanisms to become invisible to the immune system, such as the induction of immunosuppressive cells, which are able to inhibit the development of an effi...