The connective tissue growth factor and angiogenesis in breast carcinoma / 中国癌症杂志

ABSTRACT

The connective tissue growth factor is a member of an emerging gene family known as the CCN family, which is an exocrine-type cysteine-rich polypeptide, and i t is also the downstream effector of the transforming growth factor? 1 and mediates the growth and migration of the vascular smooth muscular cell and the endothelium. The connective tissue growth factor plays an important role in the angiogenesis during wound repair, but its mechanism in tumor angiogenesis is sti ll poorly understood. The breast is abundant in connective tissue matrix, especi ally higher in breast carcinoma, so the connective tissue growth factor probably plays an important role throughout the biological course of breast carcinoma.