| THE
ROLE OF NOVEL INHIBITORY VASCULAR GROWTH FACTOR (VEGF) ISOFORM
VEGF 165b IN THE TREATMENT OF PROSTATE CANCER
Dr Steven Harper, Mr David Gillatt & Dr David Bates Bristol Urological Institute, University of Bristol |
An essential event in the development and progression of cancer is the ability of the cancer to stimulate the growth of a new blood supply, so-called angiogenesis. It is controlled by many different growth factors but the most important is called Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF for short). Understandably, inhibitors of this process are potential anti-cancer agents. This research, partially funded by the Prostate Research Campaign UK, looked at anti-angiogenic agents against prostate cancer.
In 2002, the researchers in Bristol discovered a new form of VEGF called VEGF165b that had almost exactly the same structure as conventional VEGF but with a slightly different amino acid sequence at one end. VEGF165b was discovered in a wide variety of normal tissues, tissue that does not make new vessels. Subsequent work showed that VEGF165b was able to bind to the VEGF receptor on cells but not activate it, ie it was able to block new vessel formation.
The research has shown that in models of prostate cancer, VEGF165b can significantly slow tumour growth if the cancer cells are genetically manipulated to make VEGF165b. The researchers had access to tissue banks of prostate cancer cells (taken at surgery) and have shown this effect when these are injected into nude mice (mice with their immune systems destroyed) with simultaneous injection of the 165b isoform.
The Bristol group hope to extend this work by the direct administration of VEGF165b protein to animals with a tumour of prostate cells.
Research summarised by Prostate Research Campaign UK, 15 May 2005.
Project G2003/06.