Developing new angiogenesis inhibitor treatments based on discovery of tumor endothelial cell abnormalities
Studies in recent years have shown that cancer blood vessels have morphological and histological structural abnormalities. However, previously no studies had reported any difference between the tumor endothelial cells (TECs) that make up cancer blood vessels and the endothelial cells of normal blood vessels, and their biological properties remained unknown. We are the first in the world to have developed and studied an isolation culture for tumor endothelial cells. We believe that by identifying the distinctive properties and target molecules of tumor endothelial cells that differ from normal endothelial cells (NECs) it would be possible to develop new angiogenesis inhibitors to attack cancer blood vessels only, leaving normal blood vessels unharmed.
We have learned a lot from our studies of tumor endothelial cell abnormalities. Our current research activities are focused on the following projects: