Since the relationship between angiogenesis and tumor growth was established by Folkman in 1971, scientists have made efforts exploring the possibilities in treating cancer by targeting angiogenesis. Inhibition of angiogenesis growth factors and administration of angiogenesis inhibitors are the basics of anti-angiogenesis therapy. Transfer of anti-angiogenesis genes has received attention recen...

The tumor microenvironment is a mixture of extracellular matrix molecules, tumor cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts and immune cells. Tumor growth and metastasis formation are dependent on the growth of blood vessels into the tumor mass. The tumor microenvironment contributes to this pathological angiogenic process. The extracellular matrix and basement membranes are a source for endogenous ...

Angiogenesis, the recruitment of new blood vessels, is an essential component of the metastatic pathway. These vessels provide the principal route by which tumor cells exit the primary tumor site and enter the circulation. For many tumors, the vascular density can provide a prognostic indicator of metastatic potential, with the highly vascular primary tumors having a higher incidence of metasta...

Recent evidence from our studies indicates that solid tumor growth is not continuous but that it can be separated into two stages, avascular and vascular. In the avascular stage, tumors remain dormant at diameters of 1 to 2 mm. Further growth is possible only after new capillaries have been elicited from the host and have penetrated the tumor. This capillary proliferation is stimulated by a dif...

Based on successful preclinical data, over twenty antiangiogenic agents, alone or in combination with conventional therapies, are now in clinical trial. In the year 2000, close to 1,000 manuscripts describing the basic molecular and cellular mechanisms that allow for an angiogenic response have been published. The goal of this review is to summarize the reasons that angiogenesis re s e a rch ha...

Much progress has been made since the conceptualization of tumor angiogenesis-the induction of growth of new blood vessels by tumor-as a salient feature of clinically significant primary or metastatic cancers. From a practicing histopathologist's point of view, we appraise the application of this concept in breast cancer with particular reference to the evaluation of proangiogenic factors and t...

Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy suggest that manipulation of the immune system to enhance the antitumor response may be a highly effective treatment modality. One understudied aspect of immunosurveillance is antiangiogenic surveillance, the regulation of tumor angiogenesis by the immune system, independent of tumor cell lysis. CD4(+) T cells can negatively regulate angiogenesis by secre...

It has been documented in the literature that a solid tumor survives by the generation of micro-vessels around it. This phenomenon is known as angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is governed by two factors, namely Tumor Angiogenic Factor (TAF) secreted by the tumor cells and tissue Fibronectin (FNT) concentration in the extra-cellular space. These two factors help in mobilization of endothelial cells fr...

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family members are secreted multifunctional cytokines that play pivotal roles in development and disease. The prototypic member of this family, TGF-beta, plays a dual role in carcinogenesis, acting as a tumor suppressor in early stages and as tumor promoter in late stages of tumor progression. Numerous studies support the notion that pathological angio...

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is seen during embryonic development and tumor progression, but the mechanisms have remained unclear. Recent data indicate that developmental and tumor angiogenesis can be induced by cellular oncogenes, leading to the enhanced activity of molecules stimulating angiogenesis. However, activated oncogenes might also facilitate angiogenesis by down-...