title: Vascular endothelial growth factor signaling in acute myeloid leukemia.
abstract: This review is designed to provide an overview of the current literature concerning vascular endothelial growth factor signaling (VEGF) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Aberrant VEGF signaling operates in the bone marrow of AML patients and is related to a poor prognosis. The altered signaling pathway demonstrated to interfere in several autocrine and paracrine signaling pathways. VEGF signaling promotes autocrine AML blast cell proliferation, survival, and chemotherapy resistance. In addition, VEGF signaling can mediate paracrine vascular endothelial cell-controlled angiogenesis in AML. Both effects presumably explain the association of high VEGF levels and poor therapeutic outcome. More recently, researches focusing on bone marrow stem cell niches demonstrate a role for VEGF signaling in the preservation of several cell types within these niches. The bone marrow niches are proposed to be a protective microenvironment for AML cells that could be responsible for relapses in AML patients. This implies the need of sophisticated VEGF-targeted therapeutics in AML therapy strategies. This review highlights our current understanding of aberrant VEGF signaling in AML, appoints the interference of VEGF signaling in the AML-associated microenvironment, and reflects the novelty of current VEGF-targeted therapeutics used in clinical trails for the treatment of AML.
authors: Division of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands. k.r.kampen@umcg.nl
authors: Kim R
authors: KR
authors: Kampen
authors: Arja
authors: A
authors: Ter Elst
authors: Eveline S J M
authors: ES
authors: de Bont
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor