Numerical simulation of inhibiting effects on solid tumour cells in anti-angiogenic therapy: application of coupled mathematical model of angiogenesis with tumour growth

To investigate the inhibiting effects of the anti-angiogenic factor andostatin and the anti-angiogenic drug endostatin on turnout angiogenesis and turnout cells, a coupled mathematical model of tumor angiogenesis with tumour growth and blood perfusion is developed. Simulation results show that angiostatin and endostatin can improve the abnormal microenvironment inside the tumour tissue by effectively inhibiting the process of tumor angiogenesis and decreasing tumour cells. The present model can be used as a valid theoretical method in the investigation of the tumour anti-angiogenic therapy.

Quantitative evaluation of colorectal tumour vasculature using contrast-enhanced ultrasound:Correlation with angiogenesis and prognostic significance

BACKGROUND Ultrasound is a vital tool for the diagnosis and management of colorectal cancer(CRC).Contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)is a non-invasive,safe,and cost-effective method for evaluating tumour blood vessels,that play a crucial role in tumour growth and progression.AIM To explore CEUS’s role in the quantitative evaluation of CRC blood vessels and their correlation with angiogenesis markers and prognosis.METHODS This study prospectively enrolled 100 patients with CRC confirmed by histo-pathology.All patients received preoperative CEUS examinations.Quantitative parameters,such as peak intensity(PI),time to peak(TTP),and area under the curve(AUC),were derived from time-intensity curve(TIC)analysis.Tumour tissue samples were obtained during surgery and examined immunohistochem-ically to assess the expression of angiogenesis markers,including vascular endo-thelial growth factor(VEGF)and microvessel density(MVD).The correlation between CEUS parameters,angiogenesis markers,and clinicopathological features was evaluated using appropriate statistical tests.RESULTS Quantitative CEUS parameters(PI,TTP,and AUC)showed significant correlations with VEGF expression(P<0.001)and MVD(P<0.001),indicating a strong link between tumour blood vessels and angiogenesis.Increased PI,reduced TTP,and expanded AUC values were significantly related to higher tumour stage(P<0.001),lymph node metastasis(P<0.001),and distant metastasis(P<0.001).Furthermore,these parameters were recognized as independent predictors of overall survival and disease-free survival in multivariate analysis(P<0.001).CONCLUSION CEUS has a high potential in guiding treatment planning and predicting patient outcomes.However,more com-prehensive,multicentre studies are required to validate the clinical utility of CEUS in CRC management.

Brain hyaluronan binding protein inhibits tumor growth

Background Great efforts have been made to search for the angiogenic inhibitors in avascular tissues. Several proteins isolated from cartilage have been proved to have anti-angiogenic or anti-tumour effects. Because cartilage contains a great amount of hyaluronic acid (HA) oligosaccharides and abundant HA binding proteins (HABP), therefore, we speculated that HABP might be one of the factors regulating vascularization in cartilage or anti-angiogenesis in tumours. The purpose of this research was to evaluale the effects of hyaluronan binding protein on inhibiting tumour growth both in vivo and vitro. Methods A unique protein termed human brain hyaluronan (HA) binding protein (b-HABP) was cloned from human brain cDNA library. MDA-435 human breast cancer cell line was chosen as a transfectant. The in vitro underlying mechanisms were investigated by determining the possibilities of MDA-435/b-HABP colony formation on soft agar, the effects of the transfectant on the proliferation of endothelial cells and the expression levels of caspase 3 and FasL from MDA-435/b-HABP. The in vivo study included tumour growth on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of chicken embryos and nude mice. Results Colony formation assay revealed that the colonies formed by MDA-435/b-HABP were greatly reduced compared to mock transfectants. The conditioned media from MDA-435/b-HABP inhibited the growth of endothelial cells in culture. Caspase 3 and FasL expressions were induced by MDA-435/b-HABP. The size of tumours of MDA-435/b-HABP in both CAM and nude mice was much smaller than that of MDA-435 alone. Conclusions Human brain hyaluronan binding protein (b-HABP) may represent a new kind of naturally existing anti-tumour substance. This brain-derived glycoprotein may block tumour growth by inducing apoptosis of cancer cells or by decreasing angiogenesis in tumour tissue via inhibiting proliferation of endothelial cells.