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Vessel co-option in cancer.
Elizabeth A Kuczynski1,2, Peter B Vermeulen3,4,5, Francesco Pezzella6
1Bioscience, Oncology, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK. elizabeth.kuczynski@astrazeneca.com.
Nature Reviews. Clinical Oncology
|March 1, 2019
Summary
Tumors can grow by hijacking existing blood vessels, a process called vessel co-option. This overlooked mechanism impacts tumor progression, metastasis, and treatment response, offering new therapeutic avenues.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cancer Biology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Solid tumors necessitate vascularization for growth and progression.
- Tumor angiogenesis, or new blood vessel growth, is a known vascularization strategy.
- Anti-angiogenic therapies have demonstrated limited clinical efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence for vessel co-option as a tumor vascularization mechanism.
- To discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying vessel co-option.
- To explore the implications of vessel co-option for patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating tumor vascularization.
- Analysis of evidence for vessel co-option across various tumor types and anatomical sites.
- Synthesis of proposed molecular mechanisms and clinical implications.
Main Results:
- Tumors frequently utilize vessel co-option, hijacking pre-existing vasculature.
- Vessel co-option occurs in numerous anatomical locations.
- This mechanism influences tumor progression, metastasis, and treatment response.
Conclusions:
- Vessel co-option is a significant and often overlooked pathway for tumor vascularization.
- Understanding vessel co-option is crucial for developing effective cancer therapies.
- Targeting vessel co-option may offer novel therapeutic strategies.
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