Biooncology R-VEGF

Full VEGF & angiogenesis

Science of VEGF and angiogenesis

VEGF plays a central role throughout tumor development

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) contributes to tumor growth in several important ways^1-8:

The mechanisms from which the various functions of VEGF in endothelial cells arise are shown in the table below.

Function	Mechanism
Proliferation	Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases
Permeability	Vesicovascular organelles Endothelial fenestrations Opening of junctions between adjacent endothelial cells
Invasion	Induction of metalloproteinases uPA, uPAR, TTPA
Migration	Activation of FAK, p38, nitric oxide
Survival	Induction of PI3K/Akt, Bcl2, A1, survivin, XIAP, or FAK Inhibition of caspases
Activation	Upregulation of integrin expression Alteration of cell cytoskeleton

Abbreviations: uPA, urokinase-type plasminogen activator; uPAR, uPA receptor; TTPA, tissue-type plasminogen activator.²

1.: Ferrara N. Endocr Rev. 2004;25:581-611.
2.: Hicklin DJ, Ellis LM. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23:1011-1027.
3.: Bergers G, Benjamin LE. Nat Rev Cancer. 2003;3:401-410.
4.: Jain RK. Nat Med. 2001;7:987-989.
5.: Jain RK. Science. 2005;307:58-62.
6.: Gerber HP, Ferrara N. Cancer Res. 2005;65:671-680.
7.: Gabrilovich DI, Chen HL, Girgis KR, et al. Nat Med. 1996;2:1096-1103.
8.: Barbera-Guillem E, Nyhus JK, Wolford CC, Friece CR, Sampsel JW. Cancer Res. 2002;62:7042-7049.
9.: Ferrara N, Carver-Moore K, Chen H, et al. Nature. 1996;380:439-442.
10.: Carmeliet P, Ferreira V, Breler G, et al. Nature. 1996;4:435-439.