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Notch signals in the endothelium and cancer “stem-like” cells: opportunities for cancer therapy
Vascular Cell (2012)
  • Jian-Wei Gu
  • Paola Rizzo
  • Antonio Pannuti
  • Todd Golde
  • Barbara A. Osborne, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
  • Lucio Miele
Abstract
Anti-angiogenesis agents and the identification of cancer stem-like cells (CSC) are opening new avenues for targeted cancer therapy. Recent evidence indicates that angiogenesis regulatory pathways and developmental pathways that control CSC fate are intimately connected, and that endothelial cells are a key component of the CSC niche. Numerous anti-angiogenic therapies developed so far target the VEGF pathway. However, VEGFtargeted therapy is hindered by clinical resistance and side effects, and new approaches are needed. One such approach may be direct targeting of tumor endothelial cell fate determination. Interfering with tumor endothelial cells growth and survival could inhibit not only angiogenesis but also the self-replication of CSC, which relies on signals from surrounding endothelial cells in the tumor microenvironment. The Notch pathway is central to controlling cell fate both during angiogenesis and in CSC from several tumors. A number of investigational Notch inhibitors are being developed. Understanding how Notch interacts with other factors that control endothelial cell functions and angiogenesis in cancers could pave the way to innovative therapeutic strategies that simultaneously target angiogenesis and CSC.
Disciplines
Publication Date
April 9, 2012
Publisher Statement
This article was harvested from BioMed Central. doi:10.1186/2045-824X-4-7
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Citation Information
Jian-Wei Gu, Paola Rizzo, Antonio Pannuti, Todd Golde, et al.. "Notch signals in the endothelium and cancer “stem-like” cells: opportunities for cancer therapy" Vascular Cell Vol. 4 Iss. 7 (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/barbara_osborne/85/