Tumor–Endothelial Cross-Talk

Synonyms

Tumor–endothelial communication

Definition

Research in the field of tumor–endothelial communication focuses on specific interactions and pathways that allow circulating tumor cells to interact with the endothelium – the inner lining of the vascular wall. These interactions lead to modifications of the endothelium that eventually facilitate both tumor cell adhesion and extravasation. These processes are frequently accompanied by microthrombotic events, and tumor–endothelial communication relies in many aspects on mechanisms known from the inflammatory response.

Characteristics

Neoplastic growth and survival of tumor cells in the host environment critically depends on effective mechanisms of tumor–host interactions. This dependency of tumor cell survival in the microenvironmentis not only limited to the early phase of primary tumor growth, where obviously, e.g., nutritive supplies are needed, but persists throughout the entire life span of tumor presence that is actually...