Proangiogenic milieu recruitment

Proangiogenic milieu recruitment refers to the complex biological process by which a tissue, typically a tumor or inflamed site, gathers the necessary cellular and molecular components to promote new blood vessel formation (angiogenesis). This environment or milieu is established through the recruitment of bone marrow-derived cells, such as endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), alongside the secretion of potent growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The recruitment process is often triggered by hypoxia, which stabilizes hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and leads to the upregulation of chemokines like stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1/CXCL12) and its receptor CXCR4. In pathological states like cancer, this process facilitates the angiogenic switch, allowing dormant tumors to acquire a blood supply and progress to a malignant, metastatic state. Therapeutic strategies aimed at this process do not target a single molecule but rather focus on inhibiting key signaling pathways, such as the VEGF/VEGFR axis, or neutralizing the cytokines and cells that sustain the proangiogenic environment.

Other names

Angiogenic switchRecruitment of proangiogenic cellsTumor microenvironment angiogenesisProangiogenic environment formationAngiogenic milieu

Inhibition of growth factor signaling (e.g., VEGF, FGF), blockade of chemokine-mediated cell recruitment (e.g., CXCR4/SDF-1), and neutralization of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-6) to disrupt the formation of a proangiogenic environment.