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Flashcards in angiogenesis Deck (28)
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1
Q

summary of angiogenesis- type of vessel, growth factor, and main cause of angiogenesis

A

occurs in SMALL vessels, where VEGF (growth factor) bind to receptor on endothelium, usually due to hypoxia, triggering a cascade

2
Q

why angiogenesis good

A

for development, menstrual cycle and during wound healing

3
Q

why angiogenesis bad- name disease

A

occurs in cancer, inflammatory diseases, retinopathy etc

4
Q

how to produce blood vessels

A

not ONLY angiogenesis (sprouting), there is vasculogenesis (occurs in bone marrow) and arteriogenesis (when artery blocked)

5
Q

regulating angiogenesis- pro, anti, and stabilising

A

there are pro and anti-angiogenic factors, some of which are crucial (VEGF), some which we can survive without (VWF) there are also molecules that stabilise the blood vessel once its built

6
Q

what occurs upon normal O2 and hypoxia

A

HIF-alpha binds to pVHL when oxygen present- inhibits it when oxygen absent, it unbinds, and HIF-alpha goes into DNA and turns on genes that produce growth factors eg VGEF

7
Q

VGEF- types and receptors, with main receptor

A

5 kinds of VEGF, 3 tyrosine kinase receptors, with VEGFR2 being the main receptor for angiogenesis

8
Q

beginning of angiogenesis- VEGF, tip and stalk cells

A

VEGF eg produced by macrophages hits receptor and forms tip cell these tip cells lead sprouting of the vessel, and recruit other cells beneath (STALK cells) to grow as well

9
Q

Notch pathway- how tip cells recruit stalk cells, ligand involved

A

pathway involved between tip cell and stalk cell receptor has domain on CSF, and intracellular domain- when ligand binds to notch receptor on CSM of stalk cell, intracellular domain detaches and goes into nucleus to act as T.F ligand is DII4, which is upregulated when VEGF binds to tip cell

10
Q

next stage of angiogenesis- growing of sprout: role of integrins and macrophages, then fusion

A

vessel sprouting elongation occurs so that it migrates to tissue- integrins help with this migration macrophages also important- produce tunnels for sprouting vessels to direct them- also support tip cells during ANASTOMOSIS two adjacent tip cells then fuse to form a lumen

11
Q

role of platelets in angiogenesis

A

very important- have both pro and anti-angiogenic factors

12
Q

final stage- stabilisation of vessel: interaction and importance of junctions

A

vessels stabilised by forming junctions between them- done by homophilic interaction between endothelial cells (same transmembrane protein on each endothelial cell) allows control for influx of molecules eg inflammatory cells, and also control CONTACT INHIBITION of cells (how much endothelial cells grow)

13
Q

what else stabilises these new vessels

A

pericytes/mural cells, which produce substance part of the ANGIOPOIETIN TIE 2 system

14
Q

angiopoietin tie 2 ligand system - the ligands produce and effects

A

pericytes produce Ang 1 and 2, which are ANTAGONISTIC ANG 1 binds to Tie 2 receptor= vessel STABILITY ANG2 binds and does opposite: leads to vessel INSTABILITY= angiogenesis

15
Q

overall difference between Angiopoetin Tie 2 pathway and VEGF pathway

A

system is modulatory, but VEGF pathway is activatory

16
Q

clinical importance of Ang 2

A

raised in heart failure, sepsis and CKD, as very destabilising

17
Q

tumour angiogenesis with number

A

small tumours (below 1mm) can survive without ANY vessels, simply surrounding environment, but larger ones need them, so they produce certain angiogenic factors eg VEGF to form vessels

18
Q

what is it angiogenic switch

A

point at with tumour requires vessels, and can no longer survive with just simple diffusion

19
Q

features of tumour blood vessles

A

irregular shape, very tortuous, leaky, can have occlusion, and not organised into venules, arterioles, capillaries etc thus different from normal vessels

20
Q

molecules involved in tumour angiogenesis

A

fibroblasts which are pro-angiogenic pericytes are LOOSELY associated with these vessels= vessels leaky= haemorrhages platelets release pro-angiogenic factors- unknown whether blocking platelets will affect tumours

21
Q

main way of inhibiting tumour angiogenesis with main drug

A

inhibiting effects of VEGF eg anti-VEGF antibodies, receptor blockers reduce tumour growth avastin is the main drug- an anti-VEGF antibody

22
Q

problems with Avastin

A

has shown no survival advantage compared to ONLY chemotherapy mostly temporary benefit- tumour resists and grows again

23
Q

side effects of avastin

A

hypertension, GI perforation, problems with wound healing, proteinuria

24
Q

reasons why tumours resistant to anti-VEGF therapy

A

tumour responds to hypoxia by producing other angiogenic factors tumour vessels different- endothelium less sensitive to VEGF inhibition pericytes in tumour cells less sensitive to VEGF inhibition VASCULAR MIMICKING- tumour cells pretend to be blood vessel cells, so they form vessels themselves

25
Q

main strategy now to to target tumour angiogenesis

A

needs to have balance- don’t block everything (otherwise tumour produces other factors/chemotherapy can’t get to tumour as no vessels), but reduce vessels enough ie NORMALISE blood vessels

26
Q

single cell RNA sequencing of tumour endothelium

A

take a bit of brain ie tumour, and use this method to identify all the genes in a single tumour cell, and compare to normal cells- identifies NON-VGEF targets

27
Q

age-related macular degeneration and treatment

A

CHOROIDAL blood vessels grow which are leaky, causing oedema= visual impairment another anti-VGEF called VEGF used for this

28
Q

organ on a chip, tumour on a chip and clinical significance

A

where 3D cells are grown in culture, and we create own perfusion and drainage in a lab to understand their behaviour better can do the same for tumour cells, and thus understand what drugs work best