Is oncogene addiction angiogenesis-dependent?

Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 2005:70:389-97. doi: 10.1101/sqb.2005.70.042.

Abstract

Does an activated oncogene that initiates tumor growth need to remain activated to maintain the cancer phenotype? This question has been answered affirmatively by experiments in which doxycycline-regulated oncogene activation induces growth of large tumors that regress completely upon oncogene inactivation--a phenomenon called oncogene addiction. We assemble here the evidence that oncogene addiction is angiogenesis-dependent. Although activated oncogenes increase tumor cell proliferation and decrease their apoptosis, these activities are not sufficient to expand tumor mass beyond a microscopic size. Oncogenes must also induce tumor angiogenesis for expansion of tumor mass. We propose experiments to validate the "endothelial centric" hypothesis of oncogene addiction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Doxycycline / pharmacology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Genes, myc
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, SCID
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Models, Biological
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / blood supply*
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / etiology
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / genetics*
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / genetics*
  • Oncogenes* / drug effects
  • Thrombospondin 1 / metabolism

Substances

  • Thrombospondin 1
  • Doxycycline