Abstract
Angiogenesis is a crucial process in tumor pathogenesis as it sustains malignant cells with nutrients and oxygen. It is well known that tumor cells secrete various growth factors, including VEGF, which triggers endothelial cells to form new capillaries. Prevention of expansion of new blood vessel networks results in reduced tumor size and metastasis. Production of VEGF is driven by hypoxia via transcriptional activation of the VEGF gene by HIF-1α.Tumours are now understood to contain different types of cells, and it is the cancer stem cells that retain the ability to drive the tumour's growth. They are called cancer stem cells because, like stem cells present in normal tissues of the body, they can self-renew and differentiate. These cancer stem cells are responsible for the relapse of cancer as they are found to be resistant to conventional modes of cancer therapy like chemotherapy and radiation.In this review, a novel mode of treatment of cancer is proposed, which utilizes the twin nanoparticle to target endothelial cells in the niche of cancer stem cell. The nanoparticle discussed in this review, is a twin nanoparticle of iron coated with gold, which targets VEGF positive cell in the vicinity of cancer stem cell. In the twin nanoparticle, one particle will recognize cancer stem cell, and another conjugated nanoparticle will recognize VEGF positive cells, thereby inhibiting endothelial cells in the proximity of cancer stem cell. This novel strategy will inhibit angiogenesis near cancer stem cell hence new tumour cannot grow and old tumour will be unable to metastasize.
Highlights
Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from the pre-existing vasculature
These cancer stem cells have found to be rich in HIF-1α which is a transcriptional factor and it is activated in the hypoxic conditions in the tumor site and is needed for it survival and proliferation
As we have discussed above, the use of twin nanoparticle for targeting cancer stem cell niche and VEGF for inhibiting angiogenesis in the cancer stem cell niche. This method will lead to the destruction of Cancer Stem Cell VEGF receptor (VEGFR) (CSC) and VEGF mediated pathway of angiogenesis
Summary
Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from the pre-existing vasculature. The hypoxic condition activates the production of VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) which binds to the VEGF receptor (VEGFR), a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase on the membrane of endothelial cells and activates them by phosphorylation of tyrosine kinase (TK). The activation of VEGFR on endothelial cells leads to the formation of a blood vessel and oxygenation of tumour, which in turn leads to growth of tumour size (as shown in Figure 1 ). We are discussing about the role of VEGF in tumor progression near cancer stem cells and targeting it using twin nanoparticles. The VEGF initiates the endothelial cell to proliferate and form blood vessels to vascularize the growing tumour. Twin nanoparticle will target only the tumour specific VEGF and VEGFR
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