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Angiogenesis inhibitors: motivators of metastasis?

Nature Medicine volume 9, pages 822–823 (2003)Cite this article

Angiogenesis inhibitors have shown promise in hindering blood supply and holding tumors in check. But it now seems that such inhibitors, by depriving tumors of oxygen, could have an unintended effect: promotion of metastasis.

HGF, also known as scatter factor, binds to the c-met proto-oncogene tyrosine kinase receptor. HGF signals invasive patterning in normal tissues such as axons and the mammary gland. In cancer, overexpression and mutation of HGF pathway members have been implicated in the origin or progression of many cancer types, including renal, breast, head and neck and colorectal carcinomas and melanoma2.

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Figure 1: Oxygen-deprived and dangerous.

Reprinted with permission from Elsevier Science

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  1. The author is in the Women's Cancers Section, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, 20892, Maryland, USA

    Patricia S Steeg

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  1. Patricia S Steeg
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Steeg, P. Angiogenesis inhibitors: motivators of metastasis?. Nat Med 9, 822–823 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0703-822

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0703-822

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