Tumor Suppression by p53 Is Mediated in Part by the Antiangiogenic Activity of Endostatin and Tumstatin

Judah Folkman^*

Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Abstract: Recent research shows that p53 suppresses tumor angiogenesis by transcriptionally activating the (II) collagen prolyl-4-hydroxylase gene. This results in the extracellular release of the potent endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors endostatin and tumstatin from collagens 18 and 4, respectively. The involvement of these inhibitors elucidates a molecular mechanism. By simultaneously repressing a multitude of proangiogenic pathways and by inducing antiangiogenic pathways, a tumor suppressor protein can prevent an incipient tumor from switching to the angiogenic phenotype. Thus, p53 guards the genome from cancer by controlling the three fundamental processes that are critical for growth of a primary tumor and its metastases—tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, and tumor angiogenesis.

*Contact information. Telephone, 617-919-2346; fax: 617-739-5891; e-mail: judah.folkman{at}childrens.harvard.edu

The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites:

In Science Signaling

EDITORS' CHOICE
Cancer Therapy
A New Angiogenesis Inhibitor

Elizabeth M. Adler (6 November 2007)
Sci. STKE 2007 (411), tw398. [DOI: 10.1126/stke.4112007tw398]
 |  Abstract »

EDITORS' CHOICE
Ischemia
The Trouble with Having a Big Heart

John F. Foley (27 March 2007)
Sci. STKE 2007 (379), tw99. [DOI: 10.1126/stke.3792007tw99]
 |  Abstract »

EDITORS' CHOICE
Cancer
From Myc Activation to Angiogenesis

Nancy R. Gough (26 September 2006)
Sci. STKE 2006 (354), tw330. [DOI: 10.1126/stke.3542006tw330]
 |  Abstract »