title: Tenascin-W is a specific marker of glioma-associated blood vessels and stimulates angiogenesis in vitro.
abstract: The microenvironment hosting a tumor actively participates in regulating tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Among the extracellular matrix proteins enriched in the stroma of carcinomas are the tenascin family members tenascin-C and tenascin-W. Whereas tenascin-C overexpression in gliomas is known to correlate with poor prognosis, the status of tenascin-W in brain tumors has not been investigated so far. In the present study, we analyzed protein levels of tenascin-W in 38 human gliomas and found expression of tenascin-W in 80% of the tumor samples, whereas no tenascin-W could be detected in control, nontumoral brain tissues. Double immunohistochemical staining of tenascin-W and von Willebrand factor revealed that tenascin-W is localized around blood vessels, exclusively in tumor samples. In vitro, the presence of tenascin-W increased the proportion of elongated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and augmented the mean speed of cell migration. Furthermore, tenascin-W triggered sprouting of HUVEC spheroids to a similar extent as the proangiogenic factor tenascin-C. In conclusion, our study identifies tenascin-W as a candidate biomarker for brain tumor angiogenesis that could be used as a molecular target for therapy irrespective of the glioma subtype.-Martina, E., Degen, M., Rüegg, C., Merlo, A., Lino, M. M., Chiquet-Ehrismann, R., Brellier, F. Tenascin-W is a specific marker of glioma-associated blood vessels and stimulates angiogenesis in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Novartis Research Foundation, Maulbeerstrasse 66, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martina
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Degen
authors.forename: Curzio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rüegg
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merlo
authors.forename: Maddalena M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lino
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chiquet-Ehrismann
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brellier
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D049108:Cell Enlargement / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D019063:Tenascin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019063:Tenascin