Fibrinolysis in Tumor Associated Angiogenesis

摘要

Endothelial cells from different vascular beds, including tumor vasculature, have been shown to have different behavior and different gene expression. In tumors, abundant fibrin in the extracellular matrix dictates that fibrinolytic capability is required for new vessel formation. We have developed an in vitro breast cancer angiogenesis assay using mammary vessels from mice in a 3-dimensional fibrin matrix. Confocal microscopy of these assays is used to quantitate the number of endothelial cells invading the matrix as well as the length of tubular structures formed by the cells. This assay can be used to investigate fibrinolytic molecules important in vascularization of breast tumors.