Author: ["Jose R Conejo-Garcia","Fabian Benencia","Maria-Cecilia Courreges","Eugene Kang","Alisha Mohamed-Hadley","Ronald J Buckanovich","David O Holtz","Ann Jenkins","Hana Na","Lin Zhang","Daniel S Wagner","Dionyssios Katsaros","Richard Caroll","George Coukos"]
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Abstract
The involvement of immune mechanisms in tumor angiogenesis is unclear. Here we describe a new mechanism of tumor vasculogenesis mediated by dendritic cell (DC) precursors through the cooperation of β-defensins and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (Vegf-A). Expression of mouse β-defensin-29 recruited DC precursors to tumors and enhanced tumor vascularization and growth in the presence of increased Vegf-A expression. A new leukocyte population expressing DC and endothelial markers was uncovered in mouse and human ovarian carcinomas coexpressing Vegf-A and β-defensins. Tumor-infiltrating DCs migrated to tumor vessels and independently assembled neovasculature in vivo. Bone marrow–derived DCs underwent endothelial-like differentiation ex vivo, migrated to blood vessels and promoted the growth of tumors expressing high levels of Vegf-A. We show that β-defensins and Vegf-A cooperate to promote tumor vasculogenesis by carrying out distinct tasks: β-defensins chemoattract DC precursors through CCR6, whereas Vegf-A primarily induces their endothelial-like specialization and migration to vessels, which is mediated by Vegf receptor-2.Cite this article
Conejo-Garcia, J., Benencia, F., Courreges, MC. et al. Tumor-infiltrating dendritic cell precursors recruited by a β-defensin contribute to vasculogenesis under the influence of Vegf-A. Nat Med 10, 950–958 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1097 