Lipid droplets may lay a spacial foundation for vasculogenic mimicry formation in hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Vasculogenic mimicry is a highly patterned vascular channel distinguished from the endothelium-dependent blood vessel. Vasculogenic mimicry is lined by highly aggressive tumor cells, and is associated with tumor grade, invasion and metastasis, and poor clinical prognosis. Much attention has been focused on the signaling pathways and the tumor microenvironment needed for vasculogenic mimicry formation, however, the studies on the spacial foundation for vasculogenic mimicry formation are limited. There are many lipid droplets in hepatocellular carcinoma due to steatosis, while increased numbers of lipid droplets also have been reported in many other neoplastic processes. The role of lipid droplets in tumor is still unclear. Based on the similar structural and morphological characteristics between vasculogenic mimicry and lipid droplet, we speculate that the lipid droplets may lay a spacial foundation for vasculogenic mimicry formation by a way of "space placeholder" in HCC. Experimental data and limited clinical literatures support the hypothesis to a certain degree. This hypothesis may provide a new idea for the study of vasculogenic mimicry and also provide a new direction for the functional study of lipid droplets in tumor.