title: Angiogenic profile of childhood primitive neuroectodermal brain tumours/medulloblastomas.
abstract: Primitive neuroectodermal brain tumours (PNET) including medulloblastomas (PNET/MB) are the most common malignant brain tumours of childhood. Similar to many other brain tumours, PNET/MB often show marked neovascularisation. To determine which angiogenic factors contribute to PNET/MB angiogenesis, we examined the expression of eight angiogenic factors (vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF, VEGF-B, VEGF-C), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), angiopoetins (Ang-1, Ang-2), transforming growth factor (TGF-alpha), and platelet-derived endothelial growth factor (PDGF-A)) by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in six PNET cell lines and 28 primary PNET/MB. Expression levels of angiogenic factors were compared with microvessel density, TrkC mRNA expression, clinical variables and survival outcomes. Our results indicate that all PNET/MB tested produce a wide range of angiogenic factors that are, individually or together, likely to play a direct role in PNET/MB tumour growth. This suggests that anti-angiogenesis approaches targeting VEGF alone may be insufficient in PNET/MB.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eggert
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Janss
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiewrodt
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Rorke
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Grotzer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015870:Gene Expression; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018242:Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D020812:Receptor, trkC / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015996:Survival Rate; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D020812:Receptor, trkC