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Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels are formed. It is a natural part of the fetal development process. In healthy adults, angiogenesis occurs in the female reproductive menstrual cycle. Otherwise, angiogenesis is active only as part of tissue repair during wound healing and in certain disease states including diabetic retinopathy and cancer.
Solid tumors - Cancer of body tissues other than blood, bone marrow, or the lymphatic system. These cancers take the form of a localized mass of tissue. Different kinds of solid tumors are named for the type of cells of which they are composed:
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Sarcomas - Cancers arising from connective or supporting tissues, such as bone or muscle. |
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Carcinomas - Cancers arising from the body's glandular cells and epithelial cells, which line body tissues. Examples of carcinomas include lung cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, skin cancer and more. |
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Lymphomas - Cancers of the lymphoid organs such as the lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus, which produce and store infection-fighting cells. These cells also occur in almost all tissues of the body, and lymphomas therefore may develop in a wide variety of organs. |
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Conventional chemotherapy exploits the salient characteristic of cancer cells - rapid, out-of-control division. Certain normal cells that also multiply rapidly may also be affected by chemotherapy, and it is this damage to normal cells that causes chemotherapy's notorious side effects. The fast-growing, normal cells most likely to be affected are white blood cells forming in the bone marrow and cells in the digestive tract (small and large intestine), reproductive system (sex organs), and hair follicles. Some conventional anticancer drugs may affect cells of vital organs, such as the heart, kidney, bladder, lungs, and nervous system.
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Endothelial cells are one of the central building blocks of the circulatory system, lining the surface of all blood vessels and lymphatics within the body. These flat, plate-shaped cells play an important role in several aspects of blood vessel form and function, including: formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), vasoconstriction & vasodilation, blood clotting (thrombosis & fibrinolysis), inflammation and swelling (edema) and control the passage of oxygen and nutrients from the bloodstream into the surrounding tissue.
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Distinct sequential steps in angiogenesis include:
(1) Degradation of basement membrane by proteases.
(2) Migration of endothelial cells (ECs) into the interstitial space and sprouting.
(3) ECs proliferation.
(4) Lumen formation, and generation of new basement membrane.
(5) Recruitment of pericyte, s and smooth muscle cells.
(6) Formation of anastomoses and finally blood flow.
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