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Development and Maintenance of a Preclinical Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft Model for the Investigation of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies
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The hepatocyte growth factor/c-Met signaling pathway as a therapeutic target to inhibit angiogenesis

Weon-Kyoo You1, Donald M McDonald

  • 1Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA. weon-kyoo.you@ucsf.edu

BMB Reports
|January 7, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Targeting the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-Met pathway offers a new strategy to inhibit tumor angiogenesis and growth. This approach complements existing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies for more effective cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Tumor angiogenesis is crucial for cancer growth, primarily driven by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling.
  • Current anti-angiogenesis therapies targeting VEGF/VEGFR show limitations, necessitating combination treatments or novel targets.
  • The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-Met pathway is implicated in tumor angiogenesis and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the potential of the HGF/c-Met signaling pathway as a therapeutic target for inhibiting tumor angiogenesis and growth.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of HGF/c-Met pathway inhibitors in preclinical cancer models.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on angiogenesis, VEGF/VEGFR, and HGF/c-Met signaling pathways.
  • Analysis of in vitro and in vivo studies investigating HGF/c-Met inhibitors' effects on angiogenesis and tumor growth.

Main Results:

  • HGF/c-Met signaling plays a significant role in tumor angiogenesis and growth.
  • Inhibitors of the HGF/c-Met pathway have demonstrated efficacy in reducing angiogenesis in various experimental models.
  • The HGF/c-Met pathway is recognized as a promising target for cancer therapy.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting the HGF/c-Met pathway presents a viable strategy to enhance anti-cancer therapies.
  • Inhibiting HGF/c-Met signaling can impede tumor angiogenesis, growth, invasion, and metastasis.
  • Further research into HGF/c-Met inhibitors could lead to improved cancer treatment outcomes.

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