Figure from Rofstad group article on the cover of "Neoplasia"
An artistic depiction of results described in the article "Blood supply in melanoma xenografts is governed by the morphology of the supplying arteries" by Jon-Vidar Gaustad and co-workers in Einar Rofstad's group at the Department of Radiation Biology has been selected for the cover of the March issue of "Neoplasia" (journal impact factor: 5,7).
In the article, tumor blood supply was related to the morphology of the tumor microvasculature and the supplying arteries of melanoma xenografts growing in window chamber preparations in mice. Poorly supplied tumors showed microvascular networks that did not differ from those of well-supplied tumors in vessel tortuosity, diameter, and density. Conversely, the supplying arteries of poorly supplied tumors were more tortuous and had a smaller diameter than those of well-supplied tumors, resulting in lower plasma velocities in the downstream tumor vessels. Consequently, the blood supply of melanoma xenografts was governed by the geometric resistance of the supplying arteries rather than by the geometric resistance or the vessel density of the tumor microvasculature. The article thus suggests that the supplying arteries may represent an important target for physiological interventions of tumors and that it may be beneficial to focus on the tumor supplying arteries rather than the tumor microvasculature when searching for novel therapeutic strategies for modifying tumor blood supply.
Links:
Blood supply in melanoma xenografts is governed by the morphology of the supplying arteries. (link to PubMed)
Gaustad JV, Simonsen TG, Brurberg KG, Huuse EM, Rofstad EK.
Neoplasia. 2009 Mar;11(3):277-85.
The home page of Einar K. Rofstad's group: Radiation Biology and Tumor Physiology