Advanced research on vasculogenic mimicry in cancer #MMPMID25598425
Qiao L; Liang N; Zhang J; Xie J; Liu F; Xu D; Yu X; Tian Y
J Cell Mol Med 2015[Feb]; 19 (2): 315-26 PMID25598425show ga
Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a brand-new tumour vascular paradigm independent of angiogenesis that describes the specific capacity of aggressive cancer cells to form vessel-like networks that provide adequate blood supply for tumour growth. A variety of molecule mechanisms and signal pathways participate in VM induction. Additionally, cancer stem cell and epithelial-mesenchymal transitions are also shown to be implicated in VM formation. As a unique perfusion way, VM is associated with tumour invasion, metastasis and poor cancer patient prognosis. Due to VM's important effects on tumour progression, more VM-related strategies are being utilized for anticancer treatment. Here, with regard to the above aspects, we make a review of advanced research on VM in cancer.