Targeted Delivery of Mutant Raf Kinase to Neovessels Causes Tumor Regression
This extract was created in the absence of an abstract.
Excerpt
Endothelial cells are the key regulators of vasculartone, permeability, and neovascular growth. Because ofthe enormous biological impact of these processes, theregulation of endothelial cell function represents a keytherapeutic target in a wide array of diseases ranging fromovert vascular diseases, such as hypertension and stroke,to tumor growth and metastases. As such, the focus ofmany laboratories is the elucidation of the signal transduction pathways within endothelial cells which regulatetheir behavior. This has contributed to an enhanced understanding of endothelial cell biology and to the discovery of novel therapeutics for diseases. Recently, particular attention has been paid to the processes regulatingangiogenesis, the sprouting of endothelial cells from apreexisting blood vessel in order to form a new vessel.This strategy has led to recent clinical successes withcompounds such as Avastin (Langmuir et al. 2002), amonoclonal antibody that blocks vascular endothelialgrowth factor (VEGF) signaling. Here we examine the results of recent studies from our laboratory and others revealing a role for integrins and growth factors in regulating angiogenesis and how modulation of these moleculesand their downstream signaling might be used therapeutically...
