A study published in Nature Communications reveald how tumors actively recruit pro-angiogenic monocytes from the bloodstream to support their own growth.

The researchers demonstrated that tumor-derived inflammatory and angiogenic factors, particularly VEGF and TNF, activate the vascular endothelium and promote monocyte transmigration into the tumor microenvironment.

Once recruited, these immune cells stimulate angiogenesis and reinforce a pro-tumoral feedback loop that drives further vascular expansion and tumor progression.

These findings highlight the central role of the vascular microenvironment in regulating immune cell trafficking and underscore the complexity of leukocyte-endothelium interactions in cancer biology.

At MesenFlow, we investigate how vascular flow, endothelial activation, and inflammatory signaling shape leukocyte behavior under physiologically relevant conditions. Through advanced human flow-based vascular models, we study how immune cell recruitment can be redirected toward pro-inflammatory, anti-tumoral responses to support next-generation immuno-oncology strategies.

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Reference : Sidibe, A., Ropraz, P., Jemelin, S. et al. Angiogenic factor-driven inflammation promotes extravasation of human proangiogenic monocytes to tumours. Nat Commun 9, 355 (2018).

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