SFB / Transregio 23
"Vascular Differentiation and Remodeling"

Mannheim - Heidelberg - Frankfurt

Prof. Dr. Johannes A. Eble Excellence Cluster Cardio-Pulmonary System (ECCPS) Zentrum für Molekulare Medizin (ZMM) Abt. Vaskuläre Matrixbiologie Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt, Haus 9 Theodor-Stern-Kai 7 D-60590 Frankfurt Phone: 0049 (0)69 6301 87651
	Eble(at)med.uni-frankfurt.de
A8: Physiological roles of collagen-binding integrins on endothelial cells in angiogenic sprouting and vessel integrity
In angiogenesis, endothelial cells (ECs) sprout into collagen-rich environments of wounds or of the desmoplastic tumor surroundings. ECs sense collagens via the collagen-binding integrins, alpha1beta1 and alpha2beta1. Yet, the individual contributions of these integrins to the EC behavior in the angiogenic cascade is largely undefined. By using integrin-specific mini-collagens and antagonists in different model systems (ECs in monolayers and spheroids, aorta explants, and tumor xenografts), we will identify the roles of these two integrins in force exertion, infiltration, proliferation, tube formation, and vessel integrity, and will elucidate the underlying mechanisms.