The secret marriage between calcium and tumor angiogenesis.
Endothelial cell biochemistry and responsiveness to a wide variety of external stimula is regulated by intracellular calcium concentration. During the last twenty years, electrophysiology and functional imaging based on the use of fluorescent probes provided several informations about the dynamics and role of calcium at the single cell level: highly diverse extracellular agonists, such as proangiogenic growth factors and vasoactive compounds, trigger increases in intracellular calcium and specific informations are transduced for proliferation, differentiation, death, movement in physiological and pathological conditions. Obviously, the investigation at multicellular and tissutal levels is much more complex. In this review we discuss the potential specific roles of calcium signaling in tumor angiogenesis progression trying to address two key questions: (i) how can this ion play specific roles in the angiogenesis regulation; and (ii) could it be used as a target to interfere with or prevent tumor vascularization?
Munaron
Luca
L
Department of Animal and Human Biology, University of Turin, Italy. luca.munaron@unito.it
Tomatis
Cristiana
C
Fiorio Pla
Alessandra
A
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D015398:Signal Transduction; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D002118:Calcium