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Paquet-Fifield S, Roufail S, Zhang YF, Sofian T, Byrne DJ, Coughlin PB, Fox SB, Stacker SA, Achen MG. The fibrinolysis inhibitor α 2-antiplasmin restricts lymphatic remodelling and metastasis in a mouse model of cancer. Growth Factors 2017; 35:61-75. [PMID: 28697634 DOI: 10.1080/08977194.2017.1349765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Remodelling of lymphatic vessels in tumours facilitates metastasis to lymph nodes. The growth factors VEGF-C and VEGF-D are well known inducers of lymphatic remodelling and metastasis in cancer. They are initially produced as full-length proteins requiring proteolytic processing in order to bind VEGF receptors with high affinity and thereby promote lymphatic remodelling. The fibrinolytic protease plasmin promotes processing of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in vitro, but its role in processing them in cancer was unknown. Here we explore plasmin's role in proteolytically activating VEGF-D in vivo, and promoting lymphatic remodelling and metastasis in cancer, by co-expressing the plasmin inhibitor α2-antiplasmin with VEGF-D in a mouse tumour model. We show that α2-antiplasmin restricts activation of VEGF-D, enlargement of intra-tumoural lymphatics and occurrence of lymph node metastasis. Our findings indicate that the fibrinolytic system influences lymphatic remodelling in tumours which is consistent with previous clinicopathological observations correlating fibrinolytic components with cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Paquet-Fifield
- a Tumour Angiogenesis and Microenvironment Program , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Sally Roufail
- a Tumour Angiogenesis and Microenvironment Program , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne , Australia
| | - You-Fang Zhang
- a Tumour Angiogenesis and Microenvironment Program , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Trifina Sofian
- b Australian Centre for Blood Diseases , Monash University , Prahran, Melbourne , Australia
| | - David J Byrne
- a Tumour Angiogenesis and Microenvironment Program , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne , Australia
- c Department of Pathology , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Paul B Coughlin
- b Australian Centre for Blood Diseases , Monash University , Prahran, Melbourne , Australia
- d Eastern Health , Box Hill , Australia
| | - Stephen B Fox
- a Tumour Angiogenesis and Microenvironment Program , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne , Australia
- c Department of Pathology , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne , Australia
- e Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology , University of Melbourne , Parkville , Australia
| | - Steven A Stacker
- a Tumour Angiogenesis and Microenvironment Program , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne , Australia
- e Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology , University of Melbourne , Parkville , Australia
| | - Marc G Achen
- a Tumour Angiogenesis and Microenvironment Program , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne , Australia
- e Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology , University of Melbourne , Parkville , Australia
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