title: Targeting cancer stem cells to modulate alternative vascularization mechanisms.
abstract: Recently, many papers have shown that tumor vascularization can be explained by angiogenesis, recruitment, cooption, vasculogenic mimicry and by mosaic vessels. In particular, vasculogenic mimicry seems to be different from mosaic blood vessels, where tumor cells form a part of the surface of the vessel while the remaining part is covered by endothelium. In this case, tumor cells in apparent contact with the lumen do not show an endothelial phenotype. More recently, vasculogenic mimicry was proposed to occur in patients with multiple myeloma due to bone marrow macrophages. Herein, all these data are, for the first time, discussed critically in comparison to cancer stem cells-which show high trans-differentiative capacity-and bone-marrow derived stem cells. In fact, the presence of alternative vasculogenic patterns might be due to the presence of stem cell population (cancer stem cells or bone-marrow stem cells). In this connection, the literature is discussed extensively and possible models are proposed. Pharmacological perspectives will also discuss.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Monzani
authors.forename: Caterina Am
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: La Porta
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors