Calcification
Calcification of Multipotent Prostate Tumor Endothelium
08/09/2008
Solid tumors
require new blood vessels for growth and metastasis,
yet the biology of tumor-specific endothelial cells
is poorly understood. We have isolated tumor
endothelial cells from mice that spontaneously
develop prostate tumors. Clonal populations of tumor
endothelial cells expressed hematopoietic and
mesenchymal stem cell markers and differentiated to
form cartilage- and bone-like tissues. Chondrogenic
differentiation was accompanied by an upregulation of
cartilage-specific col2a1 and sox9, whereas
osteocalcin and the metastasis marker osteopontin
were upregulated during osteogenic differentiation.
In human and mouse prostate tumors, ectopic vascular
calcification was predominately luminal and
colocalized with the endothelial marker CD31. Thus,
prostate tumor endothelial cells are atypically
multipotent and can undergo a mesenchymal-like
transition.
Cancer Cell, Vol 14, 201-211, 09 September 2008
Cancer Cell, Vol 14, 201-211, 09 September 2008
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