Importance of the interaction between immune cells and tumor vasculature mediated by thalidomide in cancer treatment (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Xin Wang
    • Yanwei Shen
    • Shuting Li
    • Meng Lv
    • Xiaoman Zhang
    • Jiao Yang
    • Fan Wang
    • Jin Yang
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: August 31, 2016     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2016.2724
  • Pages: 1021-1029
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Abstract

Over the past 60 years, thalidomide has metamorphosized from a drug prescribed to treat morning sickness in pregnant women, which was subsequently found to induce birth defects, into a highly effective therapy for treating leprosy and multiple myeloma. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the anticancer effects of thalidomide, including antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory activities. At present, evidence suggests that thalidomide may induce vessel maturation. Vascular normalization may be an effective strategy to enhance cancer immunotherapy. Numerous studies have shown that the tumor infiltrating immune cell subsets are important in regulating the process of tumor angiogenesis. The mechanisms associated with antiangiogenesis and the potent immunomodulatory effects of thalidomide obtained the most support. The studies of the antiangiogenic activity of thalidomide were guided in a novel direction by a hypothesis regarding the vascular normalization of tumors. Hence, thalidomide is effective in cancer treatment due to the interaction between immune cells and tumor vasculature. This mechanism provides new avenues to explore for the treatment of cancer.
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October-2016
Volume 38 Issue 4

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

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Spandidos Publications style
Wang X, Shen Y, Li S, Lv M, Zhang X, Yang J, Wang F and Yang J: Importance of the interaction between immune cells and tumor vasculature mediated by thalidomide in cancer treatment (Review). Int J Mol Med 38: 1021-1029, 2016
APA
Wang, X., Shen, Y., Li, S., Lv, M., Zhang, X., Yang, J. ... Yang, J. (2016). Importance of the interaction between immune cells and tumor vasculature mediated by thalidomide in cancer treatment (Review). International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 38, 1021-1029. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2016.2724
MLA
Wang, X., Shen, Y., Li, S., Lv, M., Zhang, X., Yang, J., Wang, F., Yang, J."Importance of the interaction between immune cells and tumor vasculature mediated by thalidomide in cancer treatment (Review)". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 38.4 (2016): 1021-1029.
Chicago
Wang, X., Shen, Y., Li, S., Lv, M., Zhang, X., Yang, J., Wang, F., Yang, J."Importance of the interaction between immune cells and tumor vasculature mediated by thalidomide in cancer treatment (Review)". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 38, no. 4 (2016): 1021-1029. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2016.2724