Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 24, 2026

In Vitro Model of Physiological and Pathological Blood Flow with Application to Investigations of Vascular Cell Remodeling
07:30

In Vitro Model of Physiological and Pathological Blood Flow with Application to Investigations of Vascular Cell Remodeling

Published on: November 3, 2015

Normalization of tumor vasculature: an emerging concept in antiangiogenic therapy

Rakesh K Jain1

  • 1E. L. Steele Lab for Tumor Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Cox-7, 100 Blossom Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA. jain@steele.mgh.harvard.edu.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|January 8, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Certain antiangiogenic drugs may normalize tumor vasculature, improving oxygen and nutrient delivery. This vascular normalization can enhance cancer therapies by alleviating hypoxia and increasing drug efficacy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Vascular Biology
  • Drug Development

Background:

  • Solid tumors depend on tumor vasculature for growth and survival.
  • Current antiangiogenic therapies primarily aim to destroy tumor blood vessels.
  • This destruction is thought to starve tumors of oxygen and nutrients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review emerging evidence for an alternative hypothesis on antiangiogenic agents.
  • To explore the concept of vascular normalization in tumor vasculature.
  • To discuss the potential therapeutic implications of vascular normalization.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing scientific literature and research findings.
  • Analysis of data on the effects of specific antiangiogenic agents on tumor vasculature.
  • Synthesis of evidence supporting the vascular normalization hypothesis.

Main Results:

  • Certain antiangiogenic agents can transiently normalize abnormal tumor vasculature.
  • Vascular normalization improves the efficiency of oxygen and nutrient delivery to tumors.
  • Normalized vasculature can alleviate tumor hypoxia and enhance drug delivery.

Conclusions:

  • Antiangiogenic therapies may have dual roles: destruction and normalization of tumor vasculature.
  • Vascular normalization can improve the efficacy of conventional cancer treatments when carefully scheduled.
  • Understanding vascular normalization mechanisms could lead to improved therapies for cancer and other diseases involving abnormal vasculature, including regenerative medicine.

More Related Videos

Tissue Engineering by Intrinsic Vascularization in an In Vivo Tissue Engineering Chamber09:55

Tissue Engineering by Intrinsic Vascularization in an In Vivo Tissue Engineering Chamber

Published on: May 30, 2016

Micropatterning and Assembly of 3D Microvessels13:05

Micropatterning and Assembly of 3D Microvessels

Published on: September 9, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Mechanism of Angiogenesis01:10

Mechanism of Angiogenesis

Blood vessel formation starts early during embryonic development, around day 7. In the extraembryonic yolk sac, mesodermal precursor cells called hemangioblast proliferate and differentiate into angioblast. Angioblasts express vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 or VEGFR2, which binds VEGF-A, a proangiogenic factor, guiding blood vessel formation. VEGF signaling promotes angioblasts to form a blood island in the developing embryo. Angioblasts further differentiate, giving rise to...
Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply01:24

Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply

Rapidly dividing tumors, embryos, and wounded tissues require more oxygen than usual, lowering the oxygen concentration in the blood. At low oxygen or hypoxic conditions, an oxygen-sensitive transcription factor called the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 or HIF1 is activated. HIF1 is a dimeric protein of alpha (ɑ) and beta (β) subunits.  Under optimal oxygen conditions, HIF1β is present in the nucleus while HIF1ɑ remains in the cytosol. HIF1ɑ is hydroxylated by prolyl hydroxylase and factor...
Vascular Spasm01:16

Vascular Spasm

The vascular phase, also known as vasospasm, is the initial stage of hemostasis, crucial for preventing excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured. After a vessel is cut, nerves in the damaged area trigger pain and other sensory impulses. Simultaneously, the smooth muscles in the vessel wall contract, resulting in a vascular spasm. This contraction reduces the vessel's diameter at the injury site, slowing or stopping blood loss through the vessel wall. Vascular spasms typically last for...
Autoregulation of Blood Flow01:17

Autoregulation of Blood Flow

Autoregulation mechanisms are characterized by their inherent capacity for self-regulation without necessitating specific nervous stimulation or endocrine control. These mechanisms facilitate the adjustment of blood flow and, therefore, perfusion specific to each tissue region. This self-regulation encompasses chemical signals and myogenic controls.
Chemical Signaling in Autoregulation
Chemical signaling operates at the precapillary sphincter level, inciting either contraction or relaxation.
Development of Blood Vessels01:07

Development of Blood Vessels

The development of the vascular system in a fetus is a complex and intricate process that begins as early as 15 to 16 days post-conception. This process starts outside the embryo, specifically in the mesoderm of the yolk sac, chorion, and connecting stalk. Approximately two days later, the formation of blood vessels occurs within the embryo itself.
The initial formation of this system is facilitated by the small amount of yolk present in the ovum and yolk sac. Blood vessels originate from...
Peripheral Artery Disease III: Interprofessional Care01:27

Peripheral Artery Disease III: Interprofessional Care

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is characterized by narrowed arteries that diminish blood flow to the extremities. Effective management of PAD requires an interprofessional approach involving various healthcare professionals. The critical aspects of interprofessional care for PAD patients focus on risk factor modification, drug therapy, exercise therapy, nutrition therapy, critical limb ischemia care, and interventional radiology and surgical procedures.The primary treatment goal for PAD...