Angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels, is important for tumor growth; however, while many regulatory growth factors have been identified, little is known about the genetic regulation that promotes tumor angiogenesis.
In the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Injune Kim at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology examined the expression of SOX17, a protein that regulates gene expression in blood vessel-forming endothelial cells during development.
Using a mouse model of tumor angiogenesis, Kim and colleagues found that increased levels of SOX17 promoted tumor angiogenesis, while loss of SOX17 reduced angiogenesis and tumor growth.
These results suggest that SOX17 is a potential therapeutic target to decrease angiogenesis and tumor growth.
TITLE: Sox17 promotes tumor angiogenesis and destabilizes tumor vessels in mice