Final Report Summary - TUMORLYMPHAINHIBIT (Identification, characterization and mechanisms of action of new tumor-associated lymphangiogenesis inhibitors)
In this project, we have discovered two new natural compounds as lymphangiogenic inhibitors and provided their cellular and molecular mechanisms of action. These compounds interfere with different crucial lymphangiogenic steps in in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models and they affect the VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 axis, the best known signaling pathway in lymphangiogenesis. The promising properties of these new drugs pave the way for future pre-clinical and clinical studies. In addition, we have been set up new lymphangiogenic models that are suitable to better understand how cancer cells spread through the lymphatic vasculature to colonize the draining lymph nodes. Altogether, our work contributes to a better understanding of the complex lymphangiogenic process.