[Angiogenesis and metastasis of carcinoma]

Metastasis of cancer cells from original tumor region plays a major role for the malignancy. Released cancer cells attache on the outer membranes of endothelial cells of blood vessel, and can go through the wall and settle down in the tissue. Growing tumor needs blood supply for the high energy metabolism, but the hypoxic condition inside of tumor activates hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs), which transactivates several sets of angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and induces angiogenesis and promotes tumor growth. Physiological angiogenesis, however, is regulated under the balance between angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors. We here focus on the role of angiogenesis in tumor metastasis.