Title:VEGF and Colon Cancer Growth Beyond Angiogenesis: Does VEGF Directly Mediate Colon Cancer Growth Via a Non-angiogenic Mechanism?
Volume: 20
Issue: 7
Author(s): Amrita Ahluwalia, Michael K. Jones, Tamara Matysiak-Budnik and Andrzej S. Tarnawski
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Colon cancer, VEGF, angiogenesis, cancer cell growth.
Abstract: In this article we review the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in colon cancer growth and the underlying
mechanisms. Angiogenesis, the growth of new capillary blood vessels in the body, is critical for tissue injury healing and cancer growth.
In 1971, Judah Folkman proposed the concept that tumor growth beyond 2 mm is critically dependent on angiogenesis. Tumors including
colon cancers release angiogenic growth factors that stimulate blood vessels to grow into the tumors thus providing oxygen and nutrients
that enable exponential growth. VEGF is the most potent angiogenic growth factor. Several studies have highlighted the role of VEGF in
colon cancer, specifically in the stimulation of angiogenesis. This role of VEGF is strongly supported by studies showing that inhibition
of VEGF using the blocking antibody, bevacizumab, results in decreased angiogenesis and abrogation of cancer growth. In the United
States, bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy is FDA approved for the treatment of metastatic colon cancer. However, the
source of VEGF in colon cancer tissue, the mechanisms of VEGF generation in colon cancer cells and the molecular pathways involved
in VEGF mediated angiogenesis in colon cancer are not fully known. The possibility that VEGF directly stimulates cancer cell growth in
an autocrine manner has not been explored in depth.
