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Targets for Cancer Chemotherapy pp 299–313Cite as

Hypoxic Signaling Pathways as Targets for Anticancer Therapy

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Part of the book series: Cancer Drug Discovery and Development ((CDD&D))

Abstract

Solid tumors, which account for more than 90% of all human cancers, are poorly oxygenated compared to normal tissues; needle oxygen probe measurements show a range of 1.3% to 3.9% median oxygen concentrations in tumors compared to 3.1% to 8.7% in normal tissues (for review see 1). In up to 82% of readings taken from tumors, oxygen concentrations are less than 0.3%, that is, they show regions of hypoxia (generally defined as oxygen concentrations less than 1%), a phenomenon rare in normal tissues. Hypoxia arises when tumor cells proliferate out of the diffusion zone of the local vascular supply by cells growing around the vascular core; cells in these areas are more acidic and nutrient-starved than those in well-vascularized areas. The relative distance from a vessel at which hypoxia develops is also dependent on the metabolic activity of the tumor. Some oncogenes, myc and ras, for example, will stimulate tumors to proliferate more rapidly than other transformation pathways and hence increase oxygen consumption.

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Authors
  1. Heidi M. Sowter
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  2. Adrian L. Harris
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland

    Nicholas B. La Thangue (Cathcart Professor of Biochemistry, Chief Scientific Officer) (Cathcart Professor of Biochemistry, Chief Scientific Officer)

  2. Prolifix Ltd., Abingdon, Oxon, UK

    Nicholas B. La Thangue (Cathcart Professor of Biochemistry, Chief Scientific Officer) (Cathcart Professor of Biochemistry, Chief Scientific Officer)

  3. Oxford Glycosciences Ltd., Abingdon, Oxon, UK

    Lasantha R. Bandara

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Sowter, H.M., Harris, A.L. (2002). Hypoxic Signaling Pathways as Targets for Anticancer Therapy. In: La Thangue, N.B., Bandara, L.R. (eds) Targets for Cancer Chemotherapy. Cancer Drug Discovery and Development. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-153-4_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-153-4_15

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61737-263-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-153-4

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