Mechanisms of lymphangiogenesis: Targets for blocking the metastatic spread of cancer

Abstract

The lymphatic vasculature is an important route of metastatic spread in cancer and recent studies have demonstrated that lymphangiogenesis (the growth of lymphatic vessels) associated with tumors promotes metastasis via the lymphatics. Therefore, the molecular mechanisms that drive lymphangiogenesis are attractive targets for development of novel therapeutics designed to restrict cancer metastasis. Such therapeutics would be of high priority as metastasis is the most lethal aspect of tumor biology. Research over the past seven years has identified protein growth factors and cell surface receptors that signal for lymphangiogenesis during embryonic development, in adult tissues and in cancer. ..