Importance of blood vessel growth for cancer survival

Applegate, Catherine

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Description

Title

Importance of blood vessel growth for cancer survival

Author(s)

Applegate, Catherine

Contributor(s)

Wallig, Matthew

Issue Date

2019

Keyword(s)

Division of Nutritional Sciences

Abstract

"There's no arguing that cancer is a devastating and terrible disease. However, just like we appreciate the complexities of biology that create life, we can appreciate the complexities of biology that lead to disease. For example, a tumor can grow too large to sustain itself, with cells furthest away from a blood supply delivering oxygen and nutrients dying off. Yet the tumor adapts and keeps expanding by growing more blood vessels to nourish the surviving cancer cells, an impressive example of the incredible ability of biology to persevere under seemingly impossible circumstances. This microscope photo of a prostate tumor shows how the cells immediately surrounding a blood vessel survive (purple cells), while those further away die off (pink cell ""ghosts""). My research studies how prostate cancers adapt to their surroundings over time and how a simple dietary intervention like eating tomato products can help fight these adaptations. One way tomatoes may help is by blocking the tumor's ability to grow extra blood vessels, which we can measure by tracking blood vessel growth and blood flow through tumors. Understanding the multifarious interactions between diet and disease helps us appreciate how amazingly complex biology is and find ways to ultimately outsmart cancer."

Type of Resource

• text
• image

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Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2019 Catherine Applegate

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