Word: thrombospondin
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What triggers blood-vessel formation, or angiogenesis, as the process is known? A major factor, scientists believe, is a sudden drop in the cancer cell's production of thrombospondin, a protein that inhibits the growth of new blood vessels. In the normal adult, angiogenesis is not only a rare event, but one cells strive to prevent, save for special circumstances like wound healing. For blood vessels invading joints can cause arthritis, and those invading the retina of the eye can cause blindness. To prevent such damage, cells keep blood vessels at bay by pumping out thrombospondin. At a recent scientific...
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