文章：

癌症中的淋巴管生成和淋巴管重塑

Lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic vessel remodelling in cancer

原文发布日期：2014-02-13

DOI: 10.1038/nrc3677

类型: Review Article

开放获取: 否

要点：

1. The lymphatic vasculature is essential for immune function, tissue fluid homeostasis and the absorption of dietary fat.
2. The process of lymphangiogenesis involves the formation of new lymphatic vessels from pre-existing lymphatics; this occurs during embryonic development, wound healing and in various pathological contexts, including cancer.
3. Tumour cells and cells of the tumour microenvironment produce growth factors that promote lymphangiogenesis from initial lymphatics, as well as the enlargement of initial and collecting lymphatic vessels in and around solid tumours. The enlargement of collecting lymphatics can involve remodelling of these vessels by smooth muscle cells.
4. Lymphangiogenic factors (such as vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC) and VEGFD) can induce the metastatic spread of tumours in mouse models of cancer.
5. Clinicopathological studies have shown that the production of lymphangiogenic factors, lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic remodelling can correlate with cancer progression.
6. Lymphatic vessels provide a therapeutic target for modulating the immune response to cancer and restricting metastasis; clinical trials of agents that target lymphangiogenic signalling pathways are underway.
7. Mouse models and genome-wide functional screening approaches might identify further important signalling pathways in tumour lymphangiogenesis that could be potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

要点翻译：

1. 淋巴管系统对于免疫功能、组织液稳态及膳食脂肪吸收至关重要。
2. 淋巴管生成过程涉及从既有淋巴管形成新的淋巴管；这一过程发生于胚胎发育、伤口愈合以及多种病理环境中（包括癌症）。
3. 肿瘤细胞及肿瘤微环境中的细胞会产生生长因子，这些因子不仅促进从初始淋巴管生成新淋巴管，还会促使实体瘤内部及周围的初始淋巴管和收集淋巴管扩张。收集淋巴管的扩张可能涉及平滑肌细胞对这些血管的重塑。
4. 淋巴管生成因子（如血管内皮生长因子C（VEGFC）和VEGFD）在癌症小鼠模型中可诱导肿瘤的转移扩散。
5. 临床病理学研究显示，淋巴管生成因子的产生、淋巴管生成及淋巴管重塑与癌症进展存在相关性。
6. 淋巴管为调节抗癌免疫反应和限制转移提供了治疗靶点；针对淋巴管生成信号通路的药物临床试验正在进行中。
7. 小鼠模型和全基因组功能筛选方法可能会发现肿瘤淋巴管生成中更多重要的信号通路，这些通路可能成为潜在的诊断和治疗靶点。

英文摘要：

The generation of new lymphatic vessels through lymphangiogenesis and the remodelling of existing lymphatics are thought to be important steps in cancer metastasis. The past decade has been exciting in terms of research into the molecular and cellular biology of lymphatic vessels in cancer, and it has been shown that the molecular control of tumour lymphangiogenesis has similarities to that of tumour angiogenesis. Nevertheless, there are significant mechanistic differences between these biological processes. We are now developing a greater understanding of the specific roles of distinct lymphatic vessel subtypes in cancer, and this provides opportunities to improve diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that aim to restrict the progression of cancer.

摘要翻译： 

通过淋巴管生成形成新的淋巴管以及现有淋巴管的重塑被认为是癌症转移的重要步骤。过去十年，在癌症中淋巴管的分子和细胞生物学研究方面取得了令人振奋的进展，已有研究表明肿瘤淋巴管生成的分子调控机制与肿瘤血管生成具有相似性。然而，这些生物学过程之间存在着显著的机制差异。目前，我们对癌症中不同淋巴管亚型的特定作用有了更深入的理解，这为改进诊断和治疗方法以限制癌症进展提供了新的机遇。

原文链接：

Lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic vessel remodelling in cancer