Cancer research
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The up-regulation of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) expression is a frequent occurrence in a variety of different tumors. In this study, COX-2 protein expression was investigated in 50 glioma and 3 normal brain specimens by immunohistochemistry. Expression of COX-2 protein was observed in all normal brain and glioma specimens by immunohistochemistry, regardless of histological grade. ⋯ There was also a moderate increase in the number of apoptotic cells in the treated spheroids. NS-398 did not have an inhibitory effect on tumor invasion in the coculture spheroid system. Our study provides evidence that COX-2 is up-regulated in the majority of high-grade gliomas and that a potential role of COX-2 inhibitors as an adjuvant therapy for brain tumors may exist.
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Angiogenesis is a significant prognostic factor in melanoma, but the angiogenic factors controlling the neovascularization are not well defined. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the angiogenesis and metastasis of melanoma are promoted by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin 8 (IL-8), platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF), and/or basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Cells from human melanoma lines (A-07, D-12, R-18, and U-25) transplanted to BALB/c nu/nu mice were used as tumor models. ⋯ Lung colonization and spontaneous metastasis in A-07 were inhibited by treatment with neutralizing antibody against VEGF, IL-8, PD-ECGF, or bFGF. Each of these angiogenic factors may promote metastasis in melanoma, because inhibition of one of them could not be compensated for by the others. Our observations suggest that efficient antiangiogenic treatment of melanoma may require identification and blocking of common functional features of several angiogenic factors.