title: Human endothelial precursor cells express tumor endothelial marker 1/endosialin/CD248.
abstract: Angiogenesis occurs during normal physiologic processes as well as under pathologic conditions such as tumor growth. Serial analysis of gene expression profiling revealed genes [tumor endothelial markers (TEM)] that are overexpressed in tumor endothelial cells compared with normal adult endothelial cells. Because blood vessel development of malignant tumors under certain conditions may include endothelial precursor cells (EPC) recruited from bone marrow, we investigated TEM expression in EPC. The expression of TEM1 or endosialin (CD248) and other TEM has been discovered in a population of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2+/CD31+/CD45-/VE-cadherin+ EPC derived from human CD133+/CD34+ cells. EPC share some properties with fully differentiated endothelial cells from normal tissue, yet reverse transcription-PCR and flow cytometry reveal that EPC express higher levels of endosialin at the molecular and protein levels. The elevated expression of endosialin in EPC versus mature endothelial cells suggests that endosialin is involved in the earlier stages of tumor angiogenesis. Anti-endosialin antibodies inhibited EPC migration and tube formation in vitro. In vivo, immunohistochemistry indicated that human EPC continued to express endosialin protein in a Matrigel plug angiogenesis assay established in nude mice. Anti-endosialin antibodies delivered systemically at 25 mg/kg were also able to inhibit circulating murine EPC in nude mice bearing s.c. SKNAS tumors. EPC and bone marrow-derived cells have been shown previously to incorporate into malignant blood vessels in some instances, yet they remain controversial in the field. The data presented here on endothelial genes that are up-regulated in tumor vasculature and in EPC support the hypothesis that the angiogenesis process in cancer can involve EPC.
authors: Genzyme Corporation, 49 New York Avenue, Framingham, MA 01701-9322, USA. Rebecca.Bagley@Genzyme.com
authors: Rebecca G
authors: RG
authors: Bagley
authors: Cecile
authors: C
authors: Rouleau
authors: Thia
authors: T
authors: St Martin
authors: Paula
authors: P
authors: Boutin
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Weber
authors: Melanie
authors: M
authors: Ruzek
authors: Nakayuki
authors: N
authors: Honma
authors: Mariana
authors: M
authors: Nacht
authors: Srinivas
authors: S
authors: Shankara
authors: Shiro
authors: S
authors: Kataoka
authors: Isao
authors: I
authors: Ishida
authors: Bruce L
authors: BL
authors: Roberts
authors: Beverly A
authors: BA
authors: Teicher
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017931:DNA Primers; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C078203:CD248 protein, human; D017931:DNA Primers