Crosstalk between Endothelial Cells and Tumor Cells in Head and Neck Cancer

TL;DRAbstract

Tumor angiogenesis is necessary for cancer progression and requires active interaction between endothelial cells and tumor cells. It is well established that cancer cells secrete angiogenic factors to recruit and sustain tumor vascular networks. However, little is known about the effect of endothelial cell-secreted factors on the phenotype and behavior of tumor cells. The identification and characterization of signaling events initiated by tumor-associated endothelial cells may have important implications in cancer therapy. The hypothesis underlying this dissertation is that factors secreted by endothelial cells initiate signaling pathways in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells that enhance tumor growth. Here, we observed that soluble mediators from primary human dermal microvascular endothelial cells activate STAT3, Akt, and ERK signaling in HNSCC cells. HNSCC cells adjacent to blood vessels showed increased phosphorylation of STAT3, Akt, and ERK in xenograft human tum

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