Overview of advances in vasculogenic mimicry - a potential target for tumor therapy

Abstract

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) describes the process utilized by highly aggressive cancer cells to generate vascular-like structures without the presence of endothelial cells. VM has been vividly described in various tumors and participates in cancer progression dissemination and metastasis. Diverse molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways are involved in VM formation. Furthermore, the patterning characteristics of VM, detected with molecular imaging, are being investigated for use as a tool to aid clinical practice. This review explores the most recent studies investigating the role of VM in tumor induction. Indeed, the recognition of these advances will increasingly affect the development of novel therapeutic target strategies for VM in human cancer.

Keywords: clinical significance; mechanisms; molecular imaging; target therapy; vasculogenic mimicry.

Figure 1

The melanoma fluid-conducting extracellular matrix. Notes: In mice with aggressive melanoma (blue cells). The endothelium-lined vessels (pink) are closely opposed to the fluid-conducting meshwork formed by tumor cells. Tumor cells can remodel the vasculature, which becomes leaky and leads to the extravascular accumulation of erythrocytes and plasma (red). Reprinted by permission from Springer Nature, Nature Reviews Cancer, Vasculogenic mimicry and tumour-cell plasticity: lessons from melanoma, Hendrix MJ, Seftor EA, Hess AR, Seftor RE, COPYRIGHT 2003. The specific mechanism of VM are still under investigation.

Figure 2

The therapeutic effects of endostatin (an angiogenesis inhibitor) on microvascular endothelial cells (A), lack of vessel networks) compared with melanoma cells (B), VM formation was unaffected) in three-dimensional gels of collagen I in vitro. Note: Reprinted by permission from Springer Nature, Nature Reviews Cancer, Vasculogenic mimicry and tumour-cell plasticity: lessons from melanoma, Hendrix MJ, Seftor EA, Hess AR, Seftor RE, COPYRIGHT 2003.