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Tumor angiogenesis and molecular target therapy in ovarian carcinomas

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Abstract

Growth of solid tumors depends on angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels develop from the endothelium of a pre-existing vasculature. Tumors promote angiogenesis by secreting various angiogeneic factors, and newly formed blood vessels induce tumor cell proliferation and invasiveness. Ovarian carcinomas have a poor prognosis, often associated with multifocal intraperitoneal dissemination accompanied by intense neovascularization. The degree of angiogenesis of ovarian carcinomas may directly influence the clinical course of the disease. Although a growing body of evidence indicates that angiogenic intensity may play a prognostic role in gynecological malignancies including ovarian carcinomas, the related biological mechanisms remain to be further elucidated. In this review, we describe current knowledge pertaining to mechanisms and regulation of angiogenesis in ovarian carcinomas with special reference to our recent research results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka Medical College, 2-7 Daigakumachi, Takatsuki, 569-8686, Osaka, Japan

    Masatsugu Ueda, Yoshito Terai, Koji Kanda, Masanori Kanemura, Mikio Takehara, Hikari Futakuchi, Hiroyuki Yamaguchi, Masayuki Yasuda, Koji Nishiyama & Minoru Ueki

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  1. Masatsugu Ueda
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  2. Yoshito Terai
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  3. Koji Kanda
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  4. Masanori Kanemura
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  5. Mikio Takehara
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  6. Hikari Futakuchi
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  7. Hiroyuki Yamaguchi
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  8. Masayuki Yasuda
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  9. Koji Nishiyama
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  10. Minoru Ueki
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Correspondence to Masatsugu Ueda.

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Ueda, M., Terai, Y., Kanda, K. et al. Tumor angiogenesis and molecular target therapy in ovarian carcinomas. Hum Cell 18, 1–16 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-0774.2005.tb00052.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-0774.2005.tb00052.x

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