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Updated: Sep 20, 2026

Strategic Endothelial Cell Tube Formation Assay: Comparing Extracellular Matrix and Growth Factor Reduced Extracellular Matrix
Published on: August 14, 2016
Adhesion inhibition "in vitro" by heparin derivatives correlates with their activity on angiogenesis in mice
Simona Rizea Savu1, L Silvestro
1National Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 112 Vitan Rd., Bucharest, Romania. Dreispharma@aol.com
Abstract:
Heparin (HEP) play an important role in angiogenesis. Inhibition of matrix degrading enzymes and binding to adhesion molecules are some of the interaction mechanism. The bleeding risk and the need of parenteral administration, restrict the therapeutic use of HEP as angiogenesis modulator; presently derivatives, with different pharmacokinetic and anticoagulant properties, are available. In this study the "in vitro" anti-adhesion activity, tested with PMNs and endothelial cells, was compared with the effect on angiogenesis, evaluated in Matrigel implanted mice. Some HEP derivatives, with low anticoagulant activity, showed a significant angiogenesis inhibition. A positive correlation between adhesion inhibition in vitro and anti-angiogenesis effect in vivo was found suggesting that the interaction with adhesion molecules by HEP derivatives play a relevant role in the angiogenesis control.
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Activation of Integrins
In "outside-in signaling," external factors in the extracellular space bind to exposed ligand binding sites on integrins. This causes the inactive protein to undergo a conformational change to become active. Integrins are often clustered on the cell membrane. Repetitive and regularly spaced ligand binding events provide an effective stimulus.

