Angiogenesis is controlled by number of growth factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Plant derived anti-angiogenic molecules acting via VEGF are being investigated for curtailing angiogenesis dependent diseases. In this study, methanolic (CM), n-hexane (CH), ethylacetate (CE) and water (CW) extracts of the roots of Calotropis procera were tested for anti-angiogenic activ...

Enhanced angiogenesis is a hallmark of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Anti-angiogenic therapeutic approaches have recently been shown to be effective for the treatment of certain cancers. Endothelial cells migrating to tumors provide them with new blood vessels that are critical for their growth and survival. We have developed a novel and rapid method to evaluate the anti-angiogen...

Malignant gliomas (glioblastoma multiforme) have a poor prognosis with an average patient survival under current treatment regimens ranging between 12 and 14 months. The tumors are characterized by rapid cell growth, extensive neovascularization, and diffuse cellular infiltration of normal brain structures. We have developed a human glioblastoma xenograft model in nude rats that is characterize...

BACKGROUND Microscopic human cancers can remain dormant for life. Tumor progression depends on sequential events, including a switch to the angiogenic phenotype, i.e., initial recruitment of new vessels. We previously demonstrated that human tumors contain tumor cell populations that are heterogeneous in angiogenic activity. Here, we separated angiogenic from nonangiogenic human tumor cell popu...

RATIONALE Transplantation of human CD34(+) stem cells to ischemic tissues has been associated with reduced angina, improved exercise time, and reduced amputation rates in phase 2 clinical trials and has been shown to induce neovascularization in preclinical models. Previous studies have suggested that paracrine factors secreted by these proangiogenic cells are responsible, at least in part, for...

Erxian Decoction (EXD), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, has been used to treat menopausal symptoms and other aging diseases for several decades. Recently, our laboratory found that EXD could inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells. This activity may be mediated by anti-angiogenic action. To investigate the anti-angiogenic activity of EXD, its inhibitory effect on blood vessel for...

Angiogenesis is tightly regulated through complex crosstalk between pro- and anti-angiogenic signals. High molecular weight kininogen (HK) is an endogenous protein that is proteolytically cleaved in plasma and on endothelial cell surfaces to HKa, an anti-angiogenic protein. Ferritin binds to HKa and blocks its anti-angiogenic activity. Here, we explore mechanisms underlying the cytoprotective e...

PURPOSE Tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease (TIMP)-3 is an inhibitor of matrix metalloprotease (MMP) and regulates angiogenesis. In the eye, TIMP3 is tightly associated with Bruch's membrane. In this study, the authors analyzed mice lacking TIMP3 for retinal abnormalities. METHODS Mice with targeted disruption of the Timp3 gene were generated (Timp3(-/-)) and bred into C57/Bl6 and CD1 backgro...

During endochondral bone formation, avascular cartilage differentiates to hypertrophic cartilage that then undergoes erosion and vascularization leading to bone deposition. Resting cartilage produces inhibitors of angiogenesis, shifting to production of angiogenic stimulators in hypertrophic cartilage. A major protein synthesized by hypertrophic cartilage both in vivo and in vitro is transferri...