Cleveland Clinic Researchers Discover A New Way Of Inhibiting Tumour Growth

The approach provides new insight into the treatment of cancer, retina degeneration and other conditions that are dependent on blood vessel formation. A research team led by Tatiana Byzova, Ph.D., in the Department of Molecular Cardiology at Lerner Research Institute, found that beta 3 integrin, a type of protein found in cell membranes, plays a critical role in signalling cells to begin the blood vessel formation process.

In their research, the team examined "knockin" mice containing a mutated form of beta 3 integrin. They found that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which normally promotes the formation of capillaries, did not function properly in these mice, inhibiting the proliferation of blood vessels and reducing tumour growth and survival. "Uncovering this molecular activity represents a promising target for pharmaceutical therapies," Dr. Byzova said. "By disrupting the integrin-VEGF receptor complex in targeted tissues, we can derail the development of blood vessels that are critical to tumour growth and progression. These findings are significant in that they may lay the groundwork for developing new cancer treatments."A patent for the new approach has been filed, and work has started on the drug development. The research was published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine (http://www.jem.org/).(Source: The Journal of Experimental Medicine : Cleveland Clinic : Lerner Research Institute : December 2006.)