Researchers gain new insights into how tumor cells are fed

Researchers have gained a new insight into the way in which growing tumors are fed and how this growth through angiogenesis inhibitors which eliminate blood flow to tumors can be delayed. This means a step towards the development of new anti-cancer drug therapies. The results of this study have today published in the september issue of the American Journal of pathology.

"The central role of capillary germs in tumor vascularisation makes it an attractive target for anticancer therapy. Our observations suggest, however, that focused on only this mode of blood vessel formation may not be sufficient to result in a significant antitumoral effect, "remarked lead researchers Sándor Paku, PhD, Semmelweis University, Budapest and Balazs Dome, MD, PhD, Medical University of Vienna.

Researchers from the Semmelweis University, the National Institute of Oncology, and the national Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary, and the Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, used electron and confocal microscopy to examine tissue from the tumor in mice in which malignant tumor cells were introduced. They proposed a new mechanism for the development of tissue pillars (the most characteristic feature of intussusceptive angiogenesis, in which a ship folds into itself to form two ships). Moreover, they show that a significant increase in the pillar formation after treatment with the angiogenesis inhibitor vatalanib. Their observations support the notion that inhibition of just a single tumor vascularisation mechanism may lead to alternative ones.

Prior to this study, had the mechanism of pillar formation is not fully understood. Investigation showed a progression of events that a connection between the processes of bridging and generates endothelial intussusceptive angiogenesis resulting in rapid pillar formation of already existing building blocks. To describe this mechanism of pillar formation the Group coined the term "inverse germs."

"It is well established, now that tumors blood supply sufficient alternative vascularisation mechanisms (such as intussusceptive angiogenesis can obtain) grow without capillary germs (known as the main way of the establishment of the new ship in cancer). Therefore, antiangiogenic therapies should be aligned, depending on the phenotype angiogenic tumour in each one, and not sprouting angiogenic mechanisms in targeted cancer seems to be a rational strategy. Our study provides new understanding of cancer-induced intussusceptive angiogenesis and can serve as a basis for the development of new drugs aimed at this type of blood vessel formation. "

Article reference:
"A new mechanism for pillar formation during Tumor-Induced Intussusceptive angiogenesis," by Sándor Paku, Katalin Dezsö, Edina Bugyik, József Tóvári, József Timár, Péter Nagy, Laszlo Viktoria, Walter Klepetko and Balázs Döme (doi: 10.1016/j. ajpath. 2011.05.033). The American Journal of Pathology, Volume 179, Issue 3 (September 2011) published by Elsevier

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