Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C1519670 (tumor angiogenesis)
 6,052 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Destruction of the neovasculature is essential for efficient tumor eradication by photodynamic therapy (PDT). Since the over-expression of receptors for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is correlated with tumor angiogenesis and subsequent growth, we conjugated a photosensitizer (5-(4-carboxyphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenyl-chlorin, TPC), via a spacer (6-aminohexanoic acid, Ahx), to a VEGF receptor-specific heptapeptide (ATWLPPR). ATWLPPR and TPC-Ahx-ATWLPPR bound exclusively to neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) recombinant chimeric protein (IC50=19 and 171 microM, respectively) but were devoid of affinity for VEGF receptor type 2 (VEGFR-2, KDR), to which ATWLPPR was initially thought to bind. TPC-Ahx-ATWLPPR was incorporated up to 25-fold more in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) than TPC over a 24-h period, and the addition of 8 mM ATWLPPR induced a significant decrease of this uptake (P<0.05), corroborating a receptor-mediated incorporation. Slightly less cytotoxic in the dark, TPC-Ahx-ATWLPPR exhibited enhanced in vitro photodynamic activity (10.4-fold), compared to TPC. Pharmacokinetic analysis in nude mice xenografted with U87 human malignant glioma cells revealed relevant tumor levels as soon as 1 h after intravenous injection of TPC-Ahx-ATWLPPR, and a rapid elimination from the blood compartment. Moreover, TPC-Ahx-ATWLPPR was not degraded in vivo up to 2 h after intravenous injection. Taken together, our results demonstrate that TPC-Ahx-ATWLPPR is a much more potent photosensitizer in vitro than TPC, in NRP-1-expressing cells. Thus, it may efficiently potentiate the vascular effect of PDT in vivo.
 ...
PMID:A peptide competing with VEGF165 binding on neuropilin-1 mediates targeting of a chlorin-type photosensitizer and potentiates its photodynamic activity in human endothelial cells. 1642 22

Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1), a non-tyrosine kinase receptor of vascular endothelial growth factor-165 (VEGF165), was found expressed on endothelial and some tumor cells. Since its overexpression is correlated with tumor angiogenesis and progression, the targeting of NRP-1 could be a potential anti-cancer strategy. To explore this hypothesis, we identified a peptide inhibiting the VEGF165 binding to NRP-1 and we tested whether it was able to inhibit tumor growth and angiogenesis. To prove the target of peptide action, we assessed its effects on binding of radiolabeled VEGF165 to recombinant receptors and to cultured cells expressing only VEGFR-2 (KDR) or NRP-1. Antiangiogenic activity of the peptide was tested in vitro in tubulogenesis assays and in vivo in nude mice xenotransplanted in fat-pad with breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Tumor volumes, vascularity and proliferation indices were determined. The selected peptide, ATWLPPR, inhibited the VEGF165 binding to NRP-1 but not to tyrosine kinase receptors, VEGFR-1 (flt-1) and KDR; nor did it bind to heparin. It diminished the VEGF-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell proliferation and tubular formation on Matrigel and in co-culture with fibroblasts. Administration of ATWLPPR to nude mice inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 xenografts, and reduced blood vessel density and endothelial cell area but did not alter the proliferation indices of the tumor. In conclusion, ATWLPPR, a previously identified KDR-interacting peptide, was shown to inhibit the VEGF165 interactions with NRP-1 but not with KDR and to decrease the tumor angiogenesis and growth, thus validating, in vivo, NRP-1 as a possible target for antiangiogenic and antitumor agents.
 ...
PMID:Antiangiogenic and antitumor activities of peptide inhibiting the vascular endothelial growth factor binding to neuropilin-1. 1695 72

New therapeutic agents are needed for the treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer (PrCa). We have investigated the effect of methylseleninic acid (MSA) on tumor stage-specific prostate cells derived from the C3 (1)/Tag model for PrCa: Pr111, a slow-growing and nontumorigenic cell line isolated from a prostate intraepithelial neoplasia lesion; Pr14, a tumorigenic line derived from a primary tumor; and Pr14C1, a sub-clone of Pr14 explanted from a lung metastasis. We demonstrate that MSA strongly inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in C3 (1)/Tag tumor cells, in a dose-dependent manner. A decrease in phosphorylated ERK1/2 and AKT was also found in tumor cells, but not in Pr111. Microarray analysis using affymetrix showed that the number of genes with an altered expression in tumor cells is significantly higher (p < 0.01) than in nontumoral cells. Pathways analyses revealed a decrease in the expression of genes involved in metabolism (Fabp5, Cyba), signal transduction (ERK, AKT), angiogenesis (neuropilin-1, Flt-4) and transcription (cAMP response element-binding protein) in tumor cells. The expression of neuropilin-1, a protein involved in VEGF signaling and tumor angiogenesis, was 97-fold repressed in Pr14 cells treated with MSA. Combination treatments using low doses of etoposide or taxotere (docetaxel), plus low doses of MSA revealed a strong enhancement of cell growth inhibition and apoptosis in tumor cells. Our in vivo studies using Pr14 cells xenografted into nude mice demonstrated that MSA significantly enhances the chemotherapeutical effect of etoposide, resulting in 78.3% tumor growth inhibition. These results suggest that MSA could be used against PrCa to enhance the effect of etoposide.
 ...
PMID:Methylseleninic acid enhances the effect of etoposide to inhibit prostate cancer growth in vivo. 1752 Jun 73

Semaphorin-3A (sema3A) is a neuropilin-1 (np1) agonist. It inhibits the binding of the 165-amino acid form of VEGF (VEGF(165)) to np1 and was reported to inhibit angiogenesis as a result. However, we find that sema3A concentrations that inhibit the mitogenic effects of VEGF(165) do not inhibit VEGF(165)-induced phosphorylation of VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Furthermore, sema3A inhibits the biological effects of VEGF(121), a VEGF form that does not bind to neuropilins and basic fibroblast growth factor, a growth factor whose activity, unlike that of VEGF, is not inhibited by small interfering RNA directed against np1. Therefore, the mechanism by which sema3A inhibits VEGF(165) activity does not depend on competition with VEGF(165) for binding to np1. Sema3A induced rapid disappearance of focal contacts followed by collapse of the actin cytoskeleton in human umbilical vein-derived endothelial cells. HEK293 cells expressing sema3A repel human endothelial cells and at high concentrations induce their death by apoptosis. Furthermore, sema3A inhibited the formation of tubes from endothelial cells in an in vitro angiogenesis assay. Similar effects are induced by the neuropilin-2 (np2) agonist sema3F. These inhibitory effects are abrogated by small interfering RNAs directed against np1 or np2, respectively. The anti-proliferative effects of sema3A and sema3F are additive when the semaphorins are added as pure proteins. However, when sema3A and sema3F were co-expressed in HEK293 cells their pro-apoptotic and cell repellant activities appeared to be synergistic. These observations suggest that combinations of sema3A and sema3F may be able to inhibit tumor angiogenesis more effectively than single semaphorins.
 ...
PMID:Semaphorin-3A and semaphorin-3F work together to repel endothelial cells and to inhibit their survival by induction of apoptosis. 1756 71

Neuropilin-1 (Np-1) is a coreceptor for vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), and both are expressed at high levels in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs). While VEGF-A has been implicated in tumor angiogenesis, the role of Np-1 in PDAC is less clearly defined. Accordingly, PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells, which express relatively high levels of Np-1, were transfected with the Np-1 antisense cDNA. By comparison with sham transfected cells, Np-1 antisense expressing clones (Np-1AS) exhibited decreased anchorage independent growth, adhesion and invasiveness, and prolonged doubling times. Np-1AS were also more sensitive to the pro-apoptotic actions of ActD, as evidenced by PARP cleavage, caspase 9 activation and annexin V staining. ActD decreased Bcl-xL and STAT5 levels in the antisense expressing cells, but not in sham-transfected cells, and did not alter STAT3, Bcl-2, phospho-AKT, AKT, Bad, Bax or Bak levels. Immunoprecipitation followed by immunoblotting revealed that Np-1 associated with integrin beta1 and integrin beta1 blockade attenuated adhesion. However, Np-AS expressing clones exhibited enhanced tyrosine phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase. Thus, Np-1 confers a growth and survival advantage to PANC-1 cells, and interacts with integrin beta1 to coordinate signaling events that promote cell adherence and invasiveness.
 ...
PMID:Neuropilin-1 interacts with integrin beta1 and modulates pancreatic cancer cell growth, survival and invasion. 1772 69

Angiogenesis is the hallmark of cancer, and development of aggressiveness of primary tumor depends on de novo angiogenesis. Here, using multiple in vitro and in vivo models, we report that osteopontin (OPN) triggers vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-dependent tumor progression and angiogenesis by activating breast tumor kinase (Brk)/nuclear factor-inducing kinase/nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB)/activating transcription factor-4 (ATF-4) signaling cascades through autocrine and paracrine mechanisms in breast cancer system. Our results revealed that both exogenous and tumor-derived OPN play significant roles in VEGF-dependent tumor angiogenesis. Clinical specimen analysis showed that OPN and VEGF expressions correlate with levels of neuropilin-1, Brk, NF-kappaB, and ATF-4 in different grades of breast cancer. Consequently, OPN plays essential role in two key aspects of tumor progression: VEGF expression by tumor cells and VEGF-stimulated neovascularization. Thus, targeting OPN and its regulated signaling network could be a novel strategy to block tumor angiogenesis and may develop an effective therapeutic approach for the management of breast cancer.
 ...
PMID:Osteopontin promotes vascular endothelial growth factor-dependent breast tumor growth and angiogenesis via autocrine and paracrine mechanisms. 2716 Mar 11

The class-3 semaphorins (sema3s) include seven family members. Six of them bind to neuropilin-1 (np1) or neuropilin-2 (np2) receptors or to both, while the seventh, sema3E, binds to the plexin-D1 receptor. Sema3B and sema3F were previously characterized as tumor suppressors and as inhibitors of tumor angiogenesis. To determine if additional class-3 semaphorins such as sema3A, sema3D, sema3E and sema3G possess anti-angiogenic and anti-tumorigenic properties, we expressed the recombinant full length semaphorins in four different tumorigenic cell lines expressing different combinations of class-3 semaphorin receptors. We show for the first time that sema3A, sema3D, sema3E and sema3G can function as potent anti-tumorigenic agents. All the semaphorins we examined were also able to reduce the concentration of tumor associated blood vessels although the potencies of the anti-angiogenic effects varied depending on the tumor cell type. Surprisingly, there was little correlation between the ability to inhibit tumor angiogenesis and their anti-tumorigenic activity. None of the semaphorins inhibited the adhesion of the tumor cells to plastic or fibronectin nor did they modulate the proliferation of tumor cells cultured in cell culture dishes. However, various semaphorins were able to inhibit the formation of soft agar colonies from tumor cells expressing appropriate semaphorin receptors, although in this case too the inhibitory effect was not always correlated with the anti-tumorigenic effect. In contrast, the anti-tumorigenic effect of each of the semaphorins correlated very well with tumor cell expression of specific signal transducing receptors for particular semaphorins. This correlation was not broken even in cases in which the tumor cells expressed significant concentrations of endogenous semaphorins. Our results suggest that combinations of different class-3 semaphorins may be more effective than single semaphorins in cases in which tumor cells express more than one type of semaphorin receptors.
 ...
PMID:Successful inhibition of tumor development by specific class-3 semaphorins is associated with expression of appropriate semaphorin receptors by tumor cells. 1881 66

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), through its activation of cell surface receptor tyrosine kinases including VEGFR1 and VEGFR2, is a vital regulator of stimulatory and inhibitory processes that keep angiogenesis--new capillary growth from existing microvasculature--at a dynamic balance in normal physiology. Soluble VEGF receptor-1 (sVEGFR1)--a naturally-occurring truncated version of VEGFR1 lacking the transmembrane and intracellular signaling domains--has been postulated to exert inhibitory effects on angiogenic signaling via two mechanisms: direct sequestration of angiogenic ligands such as VEGF; or dominant-negative heterodimerization with surface VEGFRs. In pre-clinical studies, sVEGFR1 gene and protein therapy have demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting tumor angiogenesis; while in clinical studies, sVEGFR1 has shown utility as a diagnostic or prognostic marker in a widening array of angiogenesis-dependent diseases. Here we developed a novel computational multi-tissue model for recapitulating the dynamic systemic distributions of VEGF and sVEGFR1. Model features included: physiologically-based multi-scale compartmentalization of the human body; inter-compartmental macromolecular biotransport processes (vascular permeability, lymphatic drainage); and molecularly-detailed binding interactions between the ligand isoforms VEGF(121) and VEGF(165), signaling receptors VEGFR1 and VEGFR2, non-signaling co-receptor neuropilin-1 (NRP1), as well as sVEGFR1. The model was parameterized to represent a healthy human subject, whereupon we investigated the effects of sVEGFR1 on the distribution and activation of VEGF ligands and receptors. We assessed the healthy baseline stability of circulating VEGF and sVEGFR1 levels in plasma, as well as their reliability in indicating tissue-level angiogenic signaling potential. Unexpectedly, simulated results showed that sVEGFR1 - acting as a diffusible VEGF sink alone, i.e., without sVEGFR1-VEGFR heterodimerization--did not significantly lower interstitial VEGF, nor inhibit signaling potential in tissues. Additionally, the sensitivity of plasma VEGF and sVEGFR1 to physiological fluctuations in transport rates may partially account for the heterogeneity in clinical measurements of these circulating angiogenic markers, potentially hindering their diagnostic reliability for diseases.
 ...
PMID:A compartment model of VEGF distribution in humans in the presence of soluble VEGF receptor-1 acting as a ligand trap. 1935 13

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a serious gynecological cancer and there may be an increased risk of developing EOC in women with metabolic disruptions such as diabetes-related hyperglycemia, obesity or high glycemic load. Upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in ischemic conditions (e.g. hypoxia, hypoglycemia) induces tumor angiogenesis. We previously showed that EOC cells employ an autocrine VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling loop. Here we demonstrate the influence of glucose levels on VEGF and its receptors in the human EOC lines OVCAR-3 and CAOV-3. Glucose (but not pyruvate) deprivation induced significant increase in VEGF transcription and secretion, but a rapid reduction in VEGFR2 protein synthesis and glycosylation, combined with a reduction in co-receptor neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) protein levels. In contrast, mRNA for KDR and NRP-1 was increased upon glucose depletion suggesting a mechanism of feed back upon protein reduction. The addition of the proteosome inhibitor epoxomycin restored VEGFR2 under glucose free conditions, suggesting degradation as the main mechanism of VEGFR2 reduction and transcriptional activation through the unfolded protein response (UPR) which was activated in glucose-starved cells through the upregulation of the Endoplasmic reticulum chaperon GRP-78. Our finding that glucose can regulate VEGF/VEGFR2 levels suggests that initiation and/or progression of ovarian surface epithelial cells towards a neoplastic phenotype might be modulated by dietary conditions, and that a patient's metabolic status may alter the effectiveness of the known anti-angiogenic therapies. This information provides opportunities to explore the biology of EOC progression and improve our understanding of the mechanistic insight of this interesting regulatory effect.
 ...
PMID:Glucose is a key regulator of VEGFR2/KDR in human epithelial ovarian carcinoma cells. 1978 46

Neuropilin-1 (Nrp1) was recently described as a novel receptor for the pro-angiogenic molecule vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), indicating a role in tumor angiogenesis and tumor progression. Recent data confirm this assumption by demonstrating that some tumor and endothelial cells express Nrp1. Therefore, we wanted to investigate the potential role of Nrp1-knockdown on hepatoma and endothelial cell function in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Nrp1 knockdown in SVEC4 - 10 and Hepa129 cells and its influence on signal transduction (MAPK pP38, pAKT, pERK1 / 2) was analyzed by Western blot. Effects on endothelial tube formation were assayed in an in vitro and in vivo matrigel assay. In vivo, effects of siRNA-Nrp1 were analyzed in a subcutaneous hepatoma model. To verify effects on endothelial and tumor cells in vivo, immunohistochemistry for proliferation, apoptosis and endothelial vessels was performed. LightCycler and Western blot analysis showed efficient inhibition of gene expression in SVEC4 - 10 and Hepa129 cells following siRNA-Nrp1 transfection. Signal transduction pathways were not influenced after siRNA-Nrp1 treatment compared to the controls. Endothelial tube formation was reduced by 59 % and 94 % in vitro and in vivo compared to controls, corresponding to reduced VCAM expression. Subcutaneous tumor growth was not influenced after siRNA treatment. Intratumoral proliferation was not altered after treatment with siRNA-Nrp1, whereas microvessel density and apoptosis were reduced after treatment with siRNA-Nrp1 compared to siRNA-Ctrl. In conclusion, inhibition of Nrp1 expression led to strong anti-endothelial effects, whereas tumor cells and tumor growth were not affected.
 ...
PMID:Inhibition of neuropilin-1 by RNA-interference and its angiostatic potential in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. 2007 92


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 Next >>