Angiogenesis and Cancer

Cancer can spread throughout the body when capillaries grow into and around cancerous cells through a process called Angiogenesis.  Angiogenesis allows tumors to grow to much larger sizes and the cancer cells can then metastasize, or be transported by the circulatory system to distant sites in the body.  There the cancer cells can reinvade and grow at the new location.

           Angiogenesis

      Cancer Cells are Transported by the Circulatory System

Statins and Cholesterol

Vital to the formation of new blood vessels is the fatty steroid, Cholesterol.  Without it, new blood vessels cannot form and metastasis will be less likely to occur.  A class of drugs called Statins make the biosynthesis of Cholesterol much more difficult by inhibiting HMG-CoA Reductase, which is the key step in making cholesterol.  Traditionally statins have been used to treat patients with high cholesterol, however, they are now being used in cancer research.

     Statins inhibit HMG-CoA Reductase

LKT Laboratories has several HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors:

Natural Statins:

  - M1685 Mevastatin

  - M1687 Mevinolin/Lovastatin

  - S3449 Simvastatin

  - P6801 Pravastatin Sodium

Synthetic Statins:

  - F4482 Fluvastatin Sodium

  - A7658 Atorvastatin Calcium Trihydrate

  - C1668 Cerivastatin Sodium

  - R5974 Rosuvastatin Calcium

  - P3576 Pitavastatin Calcium

Current Research on Combination Therapies

Research is currently being done on using Statins in combination with other types of drugs in an effort to increase the efficacy of cancer treatments.  For example, Celecoxib (Celebrex) and Atorvastatin Calcium (Lipitor) are currently being used in concert to find a better treatment for prostate cancer.