title: Vasculogenic mimicry in malignant mesothelioma: an experimental and immunohistochemical analysis.
abstract: Vasculogenic mimicry, the process in which cancer cells form angiomatoid structures independent of or in addition to host angiogenesis has been recorded in several otherwise non-endothelial malignant neoplasms. This study describes evidence of routine vascular mimicry by human mesothelioma cell lines in vitro, when the cell lines are cultured alone or co-cultured with human umbilical vascular endothelial cells, with the formation of angiomatoid tubular networks. Vasculogenic mimicry is also supported by immunohistochemical demonstration of human-specific anti-mitochondria antibody labelling of tumour-associated vasculature of human mesothelioma cells xenotransplanted into nude mice, and by evidence of vascular mimicry in some biopsy samples of human malignant mesotheliomas. These studies show mosaic interlacing of cells that co-label or label individually for immunohistochemical markers of endothelial and mesothelial differentiation. If vascular mimicry in mesothelioma can be characterised more fully, this may facilitate identification of more specific and targeted therapeutic approaches such as anti-angiogenesis in combination with chemotherapy and immunotherapy or other therapeutic approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pulford
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Ashleigh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hocking
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Griggs
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McEvoy
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia, SA Pathology, and School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Claudine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonder
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia; SA Pathology at Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Douglas W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia; SA Pathology at Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA, Australia. Electronic address: sonja.klebe@sa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klebe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: CD31; Mesothelioma; VEGF; angiogenesis; mesothelial markers; vasculogenic mimicry