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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

A Matrigel-Based Tube Formation Assay to Assess the Vasculogenic Activity of Tumor Cells
Published on: September 7, 2011
Cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase and tumor angiogenesis
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA.
Abstract:
Arachidonic acid metabolism through cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) pathways generates various biologically active lipids that play important roles in inflammation, thrombosis and tumor progression. Angiogenesis, the formation of new capillary vessels from preexisting ones, underpins a number of physiological processes and participates in the development of several pathological conditions such as arthritis, cancer and various eye diseases. The formation of new capillary vessels is a multistep process that involves endothelial cell proliferation, migration and tube formation. In the present review, we survey the literature on the regulation of angiogenesis by arachidonate metabolites, especially those from the COX and 12-LOX pathways in the context of tumor growth, and put forward some unanswered but important questions for future studies.
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