Search results for " VEGF"

Tumor and its microenvironment: a synergistic interplay.

2013

The mutual and interdependent interaction between tumor and its microenvironment is a crucial topic in cancer research. Recently, it was reported that targeting stromal events could improve efficacies of current therapeutics and prevent metastatic spreading. Tumor microenvironment is a "complex network" of different cell types, soluble factors, signaling molecules and extracellular matrix components, which orchestrate the fate of tumor progression. As by definition, cancer stem cells (CSCs) are proposed to be the unique cell type able to maintain tumor mass and survive outside the primary tumor at metastatic sites. Being exposed to environmental stressors, including reactive oxygen species …

MECHANISM OF DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY: ROLE OF VEGF-A

ESPRESSIONE DI VEGF, HSP90 E Bip/GRP78 E RICORRENZA DI CARCINOMA EPATOCELLULARE DOPO TRAPIANTO DI FEGATO

Background and aims Liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a satisfactory therapeutic choice in patients with “early HCC” selected according to Milan criteria. However, the risk of HCC recurrence after LT is about 7-10% at five years and markers which can predict recurrence are still lacking. We investigated in HCC samples and LC surrounding tissues the significance of VEGF, HSP90, and Bip/GRP78 expression in patients with HCC who underwent LT in a western transplantation center and their possible role as markers of recurrence. Background and aims Liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a satisfactory therapeutic choice in patients with “ea…

Macrophage MerTK promotes profibrogenic cross-talk with hepatic stellate cells via soluble mediators

2022

Background & aims: Activation of Kupffer cells and recruitment of monocytes are key events in fibrogenesis. These cells release soluble mediators which induce the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the main fibrogenic cell type within the liver. Mer tyrosine kinase (MerTK) signaling regulates multiple processes in macrophages and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-related fibrosis. In this study, we explored if MerTK activation in macrophages influences the profibrogenic phenotype of HSCs. Methods: Macrophages were derived from THP-1 cells or differentiated from peripheral blood monocytes towards MerTK+/CD206+/CD163+/CD209- macrophages. Th…

Treatment of macular oedema (excluding age-related macular degeneration (AMD))

2021

Macular oedema corresponds to an increase in macular thickness most often associated with a rupture of the hematoretinal barriers. Diagnosis is based on the notion of reduced vision, but above all on multimodal imaging in which optical coherence tomography (OCT) plays an essential role both for the initial diagnosis and for follow-up. The mechanisms involved in the occurrence of macular oedema are primarily vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cytokines regardless of the aetiology of the oedema. Treatment often involves a combination of local treatment - primarily intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF or corticosteroids - and, in certain situations, such as diabetes or uveitis, gene…

Expression of angiogenic regulators, VEGF and leptin, is regulated by the EGF/PI3K/STAT3 pathway in colorectal cancer cells.

2009

Both leptin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are growth and angiogenic cytokines that are upregulated in different types of cancer and have been implicated in neoplastic progression. Here we investigated the molecular mechanism by which leptin and VEGF expression are regulated in colon cancer by epidermal growth factor (EGF). In colon cancer cell line HT-29, EGF induced the binding of signal transducer and activator transcription 3 (STAT3) to STAT3 consensus motifs within the VEGF and leptin promoters and stimulated leptin and VEGF mRNA and protein synthesis. All these EGF effects were significantly blocked when HT-29 cells were treated with an inhibitor of the phosphoinositide…

Effects of PPARγ agonists on the expression of leptin and vascular endothelial growth factor in breast cancer cells.

2013

The obesity hormone leptin has been implicated in breast cancer development. Breast cancer cells express the leptin receptor and are able to synthesize leptin in response to obesity-related stimuli. Furthermore, leptin is a positive regulator of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and high levels of both proteins are associated with worse prognosis in breast cancer patients. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) ligands are therapeutic agents used in patient with Type 2 diabetes and obesity which have recently been studied for their potential anti-tumor effect. Here, we studied if these compounds, ciglitazone and GW1929, can affect the expression of leptin and VEGF in b…

High concentration of C-type natriuretic peptide promotes VEGF-dependent vasculogenesis in the remodeled region of infarcted swine heart with preserv…

2013

Vasculogenesis is a hallmark of myocardial restoration. Post-ischemic late remodeling is associated with pathology and function worsening. At the same time, neo-vasculogenesis helps function improving and requires the release of vascular endothelial growth factor type A (VEGF-A). The vasculogenic role of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), a cardiac paracrine hormone, is unknown in infarcted hearts with preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF). We explored whether myocardial VEGF-dependent vasculogenesis is affected by CNP.To this end, infarcted swine hearts were investigated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histological and molecular assays. At the fourth week, MRI showed t…

Association Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Cyclooxygenase-2, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A Genes,…

2011

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are mediators of inflammation and angiogenesis; all of them are produced in liver cirrhosis (LC) and in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It was proposed that there is an association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and HCC. These allelic variants influence the transcriptional activity of these genes, and therefore the proteins levels. The VEGF-A pathway is a potential therapeutic target in HCC, and several antiangiogenic agents have entered clinical trials in HCC. We evaluated the frequency of SNPs of COX-2, TNF-α, and VEGF-A genes in patients with HCC versus LC patients…

Angiogenesis in oral lichen planus: an in vivo and immunohistological evaluation.

2010

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an autoimmune disease with an inflammatory pathogenesis. The angiogenetic phenomenon is a mechanism at the base of the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory processes. The aim of this research is to evaluate the angiogenetic phenomenon, comparing an in vitro method with an in vivo one. Thirty OLP patients and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. Immunohistochemical analysis of the vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular-endothelial adhesion molecules were carried out by the means of primary antibodies and anti-CD34, anti-VEGF, anti-CD106 antigen (VCAM-1) and anti-CD54 antigen (ICAM-1). Capillary density and others capillaroscopic paramete…