Angiogenesis and Cancer Prevention by Selenium
Abstract
Our overall aim is to understand the role of inhibition of angiogenesis in breast cancer prevention by selenium (Se). During the current funding period, we have focused on establishing the anti-angiogenesis phenomenon of chemopreventive intake of Se in mammary cancer prevention and we have initiated efforts to refine a Matrigel plug angiogenesis model in terms of specificity of angiogenic factors and reproducibility for assessing impact of Se on the endothelial response component of angiogenesis. In the first area, we published in vivo data supporting an association of reduced microvessel density and decreased vascular endothelial growth factor expression with mammary cancer prevention by Se. Furthermore, we discovered a specific inhibitory effect of methylselenium on vascular endothelial expression of matrix metalloproteinases and a potent apoptogenic activity on the endothelial cells. Because endothelial mitogenesis and matrix degradation are essential for angiogenesis, these observations provide plausible mechanisms to account for the in vivo finding that methylselenol is the active chemopreventive Se metabolite for mammary cancer. With respect to the second task, our results implicated immune response as a major obstacle for achieving a reproducible in vivo angiogenesis assay. Syngenic or immunodeficient mice will be used to reduce this variability in the second year of this research.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA384802
Entities
People
- Junxuan Lu