Maria Philippova, Andrea Banfi, Danila Ivanov, Roberto Gianni-Barrera, Roy Allenspach, Paul Erne, Thérèse Resink
OBJECTIVE: T-cadherin (T-cad) is an atypical GPI-anchored member of the cadherin superfamily. In vascular tissue, T-cad expression is increased during atherosclerosis, restenosis, and tumor neovascularization. In vitro, overexpression and/or homophilic ligation of T-cad on endothelial cells (ECs) facilitates migration, proliferation, and survival. This study investigated T-cad effects on angiogenesis. METHODS AND RESULTS: In vitro, T-cad homophilic ligation induced arrangement of ECs into a capillary-like network in a 2-dimensional model of EC differentiation and stimulated in-gel endothelial sprout outgrowth in an EC spheroid model and a modified Nicosia tissue assay...
October 2006: Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology