Effect of Green Tea Catechins on Tumor Vascularization

描述(由申请人提供)：绿茶提取的儿茶素，特别是(-)-表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯(EGCG)已被证明通过几种机制具有抗肿瘤作用，包括抑制肿瘤新生血管的发展。肿瘤的进展需要血管网络的发展来提供氧气和营养。随着血管网络的发展，局部血管的聚集和骨髓来源的内皮祖细胞(EPC)的渗入共同促成了这一过程。我们的长期目标是开发结合补充和替代药物(CAM)和标准疗法的策略，通过破坏EPC对发育中的肿瘤新生血管的贡献来阻止肿瘤进展。我们设计了一种小鼠模型，以实现以下具体目标： 1.在小鼠可移植培养的肿瘤模型中，确定儿茶素对肿瘤血管形成的抑制是由于邻近原有血管的内皮细胞未能渗入肿瘤所致，还是由于阻断了骨髓来源的内皮祖细胞运输到肿瘤所致。 2.研究儿茶素对原发和复发乳腺癌血管生成的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Green tea derived catechins, specifically (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) have been shown to have anti-tumor effects through several mechanisms including inhibiting development of the tumor neovasculature. Tumor progression requires development of a vascular network to provide oxygen and nutrients. As the vascular network develops it is contributed to by both co-opting of local blood vessels and infiltration of bone marrow (BM) derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). Our long-term goal of developing strategies combining complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) and standard therapies to arrest tumor progression by disrupting the contribution of EPC to the developing tumor neovasculature. We have designed a murine model to accomplish the following specific aims: 1. To determine in a murine transplantable cultured tumor model, whether the inhibition of tumor vasculature formation by catechins is caused by the failure of endothelial cells from adjacent pre-existing vessels to infiltrate the tumor or is a result of blocking bone marrow derived endothelial progenitors trafficking to the tumor. 2. To study the effects of catechins on the developing vasculature in primary and recurrent mammary carcinoma.