Cancer cells are capable of generating newly formed blood vessels, a phenomenon called angiogenesis or, more precisely, neo-angiogenesis, to facilitate cancer cell metastasis, defined as motility and migration of cancerous cells to distant cells, tissues, and organs.
Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ), one of the two cell cycle checkpoint proteins along with p53, as we have discussed earlier, play an essential role in mediating angiogenesis in cancer cells by promoting activities of angiogenic factors such as VEGF (vascular epidermal growth factor).
It is important to point out that angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth at primary tumor sites to ensure nutrient supply as well as secondary tumor sites as a result of metastasis.
