Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy characterized by an increase of the bone marrow angiogenesis. Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) is a critical factor in the regulation of physiological and pathological vessel formation that acts by binding to a specific receptor Tie2 expressed on endothelial cells. Recent evidences indicate that human MM cells produce Ang-1 and up-regulate its receptor Tie2 in bone marrow endothelial cells. An overexpression of Ang-1 has been also found in MM cells as compared to normal plasma cells. The correlation between Ang-1 expression and BM angiogenesis, demonstrated in MM patients, and the inhibitory effect of Tie2 blocking on MM-induced vessel formation suggest that Ang-1 production by MM cells is critically involved in the angiogenic process in MM. In this review we focalize our attention on Ang-1/Tie2 system and its role in MM-induced angiogenesis.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 29-33 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Leukemia and Lymphoma |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2005 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Angiogenesis
- Angiopoietin-1
- Multiple myeloma
- Tie2
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Cancer Research