title: Mechanisms of propranolol action in infantile hemangioma.
abstract: Infantile hemangioma is a common tumor of infancy. Although most hemangiomas spontaneously regress, treatment is indicated based on complications, risk to organ development and function, and disfigurement. The serendipitous discovery of propranolol, a non-selective β-adrenergic receptor blocker, as an effective means to regress hemangiomas has made this a first-line therapy for hemangioma patients. Propranolol has shown remarkable response rates. There are, however, some adverse effects, which include changes in sleep, acrocyanosis, hypotension, and hypoglycemia. Over the last few years, researchers have focused on understanding the mechanisms by which propranolol causes hemangioma regression. This has entailed study of cultured vascular endothelial cells including endothelial cells isolated from hemangioma patients. In this article, we review recent studies offering potential mechanisms of how various cell types found in hemangioma may respond to propranolol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry; Western University ; London, Ontario Canada.
authors.forename: Jina Jy
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kum
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry; Western University ; London, Ontario Canada ; Metabolism and Diabetes Research Program; Lawson Health Research Institute ; London, Ontario Canada ; Division of Genetics and Development; Children's Hospital Research Institute ; London, Ontario Canada.
authors.forename: Zia A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Khan
keywords: adrenergic receptors; angiogenesis; apoptosis; endothelial cells; infantile hemangioma; propranolol; stem cells