Tissue factor, angiogenesis and tumour progression
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* Corresponding author: Joanne E Bluff j.bluff@sheffield.ac.uk
Microcirculation Research Group, Academic Unit of Surgical Oncology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
Breast Cancer Research 2008, 10:204 doi:10.1186/bcr1871
Published: 17 March 2008Abstract
Tissue factor, the primary initiator of the coagulation cascade, maintains vascular integrity in response to injury. It is now recognised that, in addition to the role as a procoagulant activator, tissue factor participates in many tumour-related processes that contribute to malignant disease progression. The present review details the recent evidence supporting a role for tissue factor in tumour haemostasis, angiogenesis, metastasis and malignant cell survival. Furthermore, future research directions are discussed that may enhance our understanding of the role and regulation of this protein, which could ultimately lead to the innovative design and development of new anticancer therapies.