Angiogenesis (new blood vessels) has been regarded as a hallmark in tumor development. In 1996, however, Professor Pezzella and colleagues in Oxford, formally recognized and described non-angiogenic tumors in lungs where the only blood vessels present were those originating from normal lung tissue. The biology, signaling pathway and phenotypes in angiogenic versus non-angiogenic tumors is for sure different, and will most likely have important clinical implications.
In 2018, member from our group and Pezzella, together with some of the world-leading scientists in the field of tumor blood supply, published a comprehensive Perspective in Nature Review Cancer on this topic. In the updated paper (2022), Hallmarks of Cancer: New dimensions, vessel co-option (non-angiogenic tumors) is recognized as an alternative tumor blood supply and the hallmark is renamed as “inducing or accessing vasculature”.
Several PhD-candidates from our group has defended their thesis on topics related to angiogenesis/hypoxia. Currently, based on a close collaboration with prof. Pezzella at Oxford, we will continue to study mechanism related to angiogenic and non-angiogenic blood supply and its interaction with the immune system. Combining anti-angiogenic treatment and immunotherapy is a novel therapeutic approach, but more knowledge is needed to optimize treatment strategies.
The project is ongoing.
Key Publications:
- Donnem T, Hu J, Ferguson M, Adighibe O, Snell C, Harris AL, Gatter KC, Pezzella F. Vessel co- option in primary human tumors and metastases: an obstacle to effective anti-angiogenic treatment? Cancer Medicine 2013;2:427-436. DOI
- Donnem T, Reynolds AR, Kuczynzki EA, Gatter K, Vermeulen PB, Kerbel RS, Harris AL, Pezzella F. Non-angiogenic tumours and their influence on cancer biology. Nature Reviews Cancer 2018 May;18:323-336. DOI
- Paulsen EE, Andersen S, Rakaee M, Pedersen MI, Lombardi AP, Pøhl M, Kilvaer T, Busund LT, Pezzella F, Donnem T. Impact of microvessel patterns and immune status in NSCLC: A non-angiogenic vasculature is an independent negative prognostic factor in lung adenocarcinoma. Frontier in Oncology 2023. DOI