Tumor Angiogenesis Unit, Department of Oncology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Bergamo, Italy.
Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2011 Dec;43(12):1674-85. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2011.08.012. Epub 2011 Aug 17.
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is the central element of a pericellular network of bioactive molecules. It orchestrates molecular interactions, availability and activity, acting as a key regulator of cell functions and complex biological processes, including physiological and pathological angiogenesis. The ECM serves as a source of both stimulatory and inhibitory angiogenesis regulatory factors. The observation that several endogenous inhibitors of angiogenesis derive from the ECM proves its importance in physiological angiogenesis, and point to the ECM as a precious source of therapeutic agents for angiogenesis-driven diseases, including cancer growth and metastatic dissemination. This review focuses on the different approaches to exploit ECM molecules for designing tools for therapeutic inhibition or monitoring of pathological angiogenesis, with particular focus on antineoplastic therapy, and emphasis on peptides of ECM moieties and mimetic small molecules.
细胞外基质 (ECM) 是细胞周围生物活性分子网络的核心元素。它协调分子相互作用、可用性和活性，作为细胞功能和复杂生物学过程（包括生理和病理血管生成）的关键调节剂。ECM 作为刺激和抑制血管生成调节因子的来源。观察到几种内源性血管生成抑制剂来自 ECM，这证明了它在生理血管生成中的重要性，并指出 ECM 是治疗血管生成驱动的疾病（包括癌症生长和转移扩散）的治疗剂的宝贵来源。本综述重点介绍了利用 ECM 分子设计治疗性抑制或监测病理性血管生成工具的不同方法，特别关注抗肿瘤治疗，并强调 ECM 部分的肽和模拟小分子。
