Growth factors in glioma angiogenesis: FGFs, PDGF, EGF, and TGFs.
It has become well accepted that solid tumors must create a vascular system for nutrient delivery and waste removal in order to grow appreciably. This process, angiogenesis, is critical to the progression of gliomas, with vascular changes accompanying the advancement of these tumors. The cascade of events in this process of blood vessel formation involves a complex interplay between tumor cells, endothelial cells, and their surrounding basement membranes in which enzymatic degradation of surrounding ground substance and subsequent endothelial cell migration, proliferation, and tube formation occurs. It is likely that a host of growth factors is responsible for mediating these key events. To date, a role for Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in glioma angiogenesis has been convincingly demonstrated. This review explores the contribution of other growth factors--Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs), Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF), Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), and Transforming Growth Factors (TGFs)--to glioma angiogenesis. These growth factors may influence glioma angiogenesis by directly stimulating endothelial cell proliferation, by mediating the expression of key proteases on endothelial cells necessary for angiogenesis, or by regulating the expression of VEGF and of each other.
Brain Tumor Research Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Dunn
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O
Heese
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Black
D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005910:Glioma / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism*; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology
D006133:Growth Substances; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors; D010450:Endopeptidases