THE ROLE OF CXC CHEMOKINES IN THE REGULATION OF ANGIOGENESIS IN NONSMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER

Angiogenesis is a critical component of tumor biology, In recent years newer techniques of cell and molecular biology have led to important advances in our understanding of this process, The regulation of angio genesis depends on a balance between the activity of local factors tha t promote (angiogenic factors) or inhibit (angiostatic factors) neovas cularization. Nowhere is this paradigm of a balance more apparent than in the study of tumor-associated angiogenesis, Tumors promote angioge nesis through a combination of overexpression of angiogenic factors an d local inhibition of angiostatic factors, This strategy-leads to an a ngiogenic environment that promotes tumor growth and metastases, Our l aboratory has focused studies on the role of the CXC chemokine family in the regulation of angiogenesis by non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC ), In this article, the review our findings that the CXC chemokine fam ily is composed of members that are either angiogenic or angiostatic, We have found that in NSCLC an imbalance exists in the expression of t hese factors that favors tumor-derived angiogenesis, and therefore tum or growth and metastases, Furthermore, when this imbalance is correcte d to reduce the presence of angiogenic factors or increase the presenc e of angiostatic factors, tumor growth and metastases are reduced.