Abstract
The lymphatic vasculature is an important route of metastatic spread in cancer and recent studies have demonstrated that lymphangiogenesis (the growth of lymphatic vessels) associated with tumors promotes metastasis via the lymphatics. Therefore, the molecular mechanisms that drive lymphangiogenesis are attractive targets for development of novel therapeutics designed to restrict cancer metastasis. Such therapeutics would be of high priority as metastasis is the most lethal aspect of tumor biology. Research over the past seven years has identified protein growth factors and cell surface receptors that signal for lymphangiogenesis during embryonic development, in adult tissues and in cancer. Proteases that process and thereby activate lymphangiogenic growth factors have also been defined. Lymphangiogenic growth factors, the enzymes that activate them and the cell surface receptors signalling for growth of lymphatic vessels are prime targets for antilymphangiogenic drugs designed to restrict cancer metastasis. Agents targeting some of these proteins have already shown promise for blocking tumor lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in animal models. This article focuses on current and emerging targets for blocking these processes that have been defined in recent studies of the molecular mechanisms controlling lymphangiogenesis. Strategies to block the actions of these proteins in cancer are also explored.
Keywords: Growth factor, metastasis, receptor tyrosine kinase, PDGF-BB, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGFR-3
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Title: Mechanisms of Lymphangiogenesis: Targets for Blocking the Metastatic Spread of Cancer
Volume: 5 Issue: 8
Author(s): Bradley K. McColl, Stephen J. Loughran, Natalia Davydova, Steven A. Stacker and Marc G. Achen
Affiliation:
Keywords: Growth factor, metastasis, receptor tyrosine kinase, PDGF-BB, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGFR-3
Abstract: The lymphatic vasculature is an important route of metastatic spread in cancer and recent studies have demonstrated that lymphangiogenesis (the growth of lymphatic vessels) associated with tumors promotes metastasis via the lymphatics. Therefore, the molecular mechanisms that drive lymphangiogenesis are attractive targets for development of novel therapeutics designed to restrict cancer metastasis. Such therapeutics would be of high priority as metastasis is the most lethal aspect of tumor biology. Research over the past seven years has identified protein growth factors and cell surface receptors that signal for lymphangiogenesis during embryonic development, in adult tissues and in cancer. Proteases that process and thereby activate lymphangiogenic growth factors have also been defined. Lymphangiogenic growth factors, the enzymes that activate them and the cell surface receptors signalling for growth of lymphatic vessels are prime targets for antilymphangiogenic drugs designed to restrict cancer metastasis. Agents targeting some of these proteins have already shown promise for blocking tumor lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in animal models. This article focuses on current and emerging targets for blocking these processes that have been defined in recent studies of the molecular mechanisms controlling lymphangiogenesis. Strategies to block the actions of these proteins in cancer are also explored.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
McColl K. Bradley, Loughran J. Stephen, Davydova Natalia, Stacker A. Steven and Achen G. Marc, Mechanisms of Lymphangiogenesis: Targets for Blocking the Metastatic Spread of Cancer, Current Cancer Drug Targets 2005; 5 (8) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156800905774932833
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156800905774932833 |
Print ISSN 1568-0096 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-5576 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances in Cancer Biomarkers and Potential Drug Targets: From Diagnosis to Therapy
Cancer biomarkers play a crucial role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. They provide valuable information for cancer detection, risk assessment, treatment selection, and monitoring response to therapy. With advancements in molecular biology and high-throughput technologies, there has been an increasing interest in identifying and characterizing cancer biomarkers ...read more
Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Target Drug Resistant Tumors
With the development of disciplines such as chemical biology and molecular biology, the genes or proteins closely related to tumor occurrence and development have gradually become clear. Targeted therapies targeting these genes or proteins provide more effective methods for tumor treatment. Tumor targeted drugs generally only act on specific targets ...read more
ROLE OF IMMUNE AND GENOTOXIC RESPONSE BIOMARKERS IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Biological biomarkers have been used in medical research as an indicator of a normal or abnormal process inside the body, or of a disease. Nowadays, various researchers are in process to explore and investigate the biological markers for the early assessment of cancer. DNA Damage response (DDR) pathways and immune ...read more
Targeting the battlefield between host and tumor: basic research and clinical practice on reshaping tumor immune microenvironment
Immune system protects host against malignant tumors through effector cells and molecules. Cancer development and its response to therapy are regulated by inflammation, which either promotes or suppresses cancer progression. Chronic inflammation facilitates cancer progression and treatment resistance, whereas induction of acute inflammatory reactions often lead to anti-cancer immune responses. ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
Whole Organism Based Techniques and Approaches in Early Stage Oncology Drug Discovery-Patents and Trends
Recent Patents on Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Drug Discovery Recent Advances in the Chemistry and Pharmacological Activity of New Steroidal Antiandrogens and 5α-Reductase Inhibitors
Current Medicinal Chemistry Deacetylase Inhibitors Modulate the Myostatin/Follistatin Axis without Improving Cachexia in Tumor-Bearing Mice
Current Cancer Drug Targets Dibenzoylmethane Activates Nrf2-Dependent Detoxification Pathway and Inhibits Benzo(a)pyrene Induced DNA Adducts in Lungs
Medicinal Chemistry Potential Prophylactic and Therapeutic Vaccines for HSV Infections
Current Pharmaceutical Design The Impact of 5-Substituted Uracil Derivatives on Immortalized Embryo Lung Cells
Letters in Drug Design & Discovery Medicinal Chemistry of Sirtuin Inhibitors
Current Medicinal Chemistry E3 Ubiquitin Ligases as Molecular Targets in Human Oral Cancers
Current Cancer Drug Targets Epigenetics in Medullary Thyroid Cancer: From Pathogenesis to Targeted Therapy
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Toward the Discovery and Development of PSMA Targeted Inhibitors for Nuclear Medicine Applications
Current Radiopharmaceuticals FDG PET/CT in the Staging of Lung Cancer
Current Radiopharmaceuticals Molecular Chaperone ORP150 in ER Stress–related Diseases
Current Pharmaceutical Design Nongenomic Actions of Thyroid Hormones: From Basic Research to Clinical Applications. An Update
Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Discontinued) Circulating Exosomes as Potential Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Disease
Current Pharmaceutical Design Curcumin-Based Anti-Prostate Cancer Agents
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Isoliquiritigenin Inhibits Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis via Alleviating Hypoxia and Reducing Glycolysis in Mouse Melanoma B16F10 Cells
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Proteasome Inhibitors Therapeutic Strategies for Cancer
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Specific Nutritional Supplement (Supportan<sup>®</sup>) in the Supportive Care of the Radio-Chemotherapy Treatment of Head and Neck Cancers: Biochemical Parameters. Preliminary Study
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets BMPS and Liver: More Questions than Answers
Current Pharmaceutical Design Mass Spectrometry Data Analysis in the Proteomics Era
Current Bioinformatics