Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spread from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; the term is typically used when referring to metastasis by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, then, are metastases (mets). It is generally distinguished from cancer invasion, which is the direct extension and penetration by cancer cells into neighboring tissues.
Autocrine signaling is a form of cell signaling in which a cell secretes a hormone or chemical messenger that binds to autocrine receptors on that same cell, leading to changes in the cell. This can be contrasted with paracrine signaling, intracrine signaling, or classical endocrine signaling.
An angiogenesis inhibitor is a substance that inhibits the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis). Some angiogenesis inhibitors are endogenous and a normal part of the body's control and others are obtained exogenously through pharmaceutical drugs or diet.
Angiogenin (ANG) also known as ribonuclease 5 is a small 123 amino acid protein that in humans is encoded by the ANG gene. Angiogenin is a potent stimulator of new blood vessels through the process of angiogenesis. Ang hydrolyzes cellular RNA, resulting in modulated levels of protein synthesis and interacts with DNA causing a promoter-like increase in the expression of rRNA. Ang is associated with cancer and neurological disease through angiogenesis and through activating gene expression that suppresses apoptosis.
Chemokine ligand 14 (CXCL14) is a small cytokine belonging to the CXC chemokine family that is also known as BRAK. Mature CXCL14 has many of the conserved features of the CXC chemokine subfamily but has some differences too, such as a shorter N-terminus and five extra amino acids in the region between its third and fourth cysteines. CXCL14 is constitutively expressed at high levels in many normal tissues, where its cellular source is thought to be fibroblasts. However, it is reduced or absent from most cancer cells. This chemokine is chemotactic for monocytes and can activate these cells in the presence of an inflammatory mediator called prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2). It is also a potent chemoattractant and activator of dendritic cells, is implicated in homing of these cells, and can stimulate the migration of activated NK cells. CXCL14 also inhibits angiogenesis, possibly as a result of its ability to block endothelial cell chemotaxis. The gene for CXCL14 contains four exons and is located on chromosome 5 in humans.
CD146 also known as the melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) or cell surface glycoprotein MUC18, is a 113kDa cell adhesion molecule currently used as a marker for endothelial cell lineage. In humans, the CD146 protein is encoded by the MCAM gene.
There are 89 known sequences today in the microRNA 19 (miR-19) family but it will change quickly. They are found in a large number of vertebrate species. The miR-19 microRNA precursor is a small non-coding RNA molecule that regulates gene expression. Within the human and mouse genome there are three copies of this microRNA that are processed from multiple predicted precursor hairpins:
Endothelial progenitor cell is a term that has been applied to multiple different cell types that play roles in the regeneration of the endothelial lining of blood vessels. Outgrowth endothelial cells are an EPC subtype committed to endothelial cell formation. Despite the history and controversy, the EPC in all its forms remains a promising target of regenerative medicine research.
Atiprimod is a substance being studied in the treatment of certain multiple myelomas and other advanced cancers. It may block the growth of tumors and the growth of blood vessels from surrounding tissue to the tumor. This drug is also being researched as a potential treatment for various autoimmune diseases. It was first developed by GlaxoSmithKline as a potential treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. The substance is also known as azaspirane, although this more properly refers to the class of chemicals to which atiprimod belongs.
Delta-like 4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the DLL4 gene.
Angiopoietin-4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ANGPT4 gene.
Serine/threonine-protein kinase Pim-2 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the PIM2.
EGF-like domain-containing protein 7 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the EGFL7 gene. Intron 7 of EGFL7 hosts the miR-126 microRNA gene.
In molecular biology mir-126 is a short non-coding RNA molecule. MicroRNAs function to regulate the expression levels of other genes by several pre- and post-transcription mechanisms.
In molecular biology, mir-221 microRNA is a short RNA molecule. MicroRNAs function to regulate the expression levels of other genes by several mechanisms.
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a class of immune cells present in high numbers in the microenvironment of solid tumors. They are heavily involved in cancer-related inflammation. Macrophages are known to originate from bone marrow-derived blood monocytes or yolk sac progenitors, but the exact origin of TAMs in human tumors remains to be elucidated. The composition of monocyte-derived macrophages and tissue-resident macrophages in the tumor microenvironment depends on the tumor type, stage, size, and location, thus it has been proposed that TAM identity and heterogeneity is the outcome of interactions between tumor-derived, tissue-specific, and developmental signals.
Tumor-associated endothelial cells or tumor endothelial cells (TECs) refers to cells lining the tumor-associated blood vessels that control the passage of nutrients into surrounding tumor tissue. Across different cancer types, tumor-associated blood vessels have been discovered to differ significantly from normal blood vessels in morphology, gene expression, and functionality in ways that promote cancer progression. There has been notable interest in developing cancer therapeutics that capitalize on these abnormalities of the tumor-associated endothelium to destroy tumors.
The host response to cancer therapy is defined as a physiological response of the non-malignant cells of the body to a specific cancer therapy. The response is therapy-specific, occurring independently of cancer type or stage.
Realgar/Indigo naturalis (RIF), also known as Compound Huangdai (复方黄黛), is a medication used to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia. Effectiveness appears similar to arsenic trioxide. It is generally used together with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA). It is taken by mouth.
hPG80 refers to the extracellular and oncogenic version of progastrin. This name first appeared in a scientific publication in January 2020. Until that date, scientific publications only mention 'progastrin', without necessarily explicitly specifying whether it is intracellular or extracellular in the tumor pathological setting.
