那如果有一种药物可以帮助新生血管变成成熟的正常血管,然后再使用抗癌药物,会不会对癌症的治疗有效呢?麻省总医院Rakesh K. Jain博士的研究表明,这个方法确实有效(8)。从理论上讲,这种疗法堵住了新生血管的缺口,有效地预防了癌细胞的转移;同时杀伤癌细胞的药物进入肿瘤也更畅通了。Zhang博士在论文中写道,这个血管正常化(vessel normalization)虽然延缓了肿瘤的进展,但是这背后的调节机制,却鲜为人知。为了更好的理解这个悖论,zhang博士和他的同事准备更仔细的研究肿瘤微环境。
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