Immunotherapy checkpoints in ovarian cancer vasculogenic mimicry: Tumor immune microenvironments, and drugs

Abstract

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), a vessel-like structure independent of endothelial cells, commonly exists in solid tumors which requires blood vessels to grow. As a special source of blood supply for tumor progression to a more aggressive state, VM has been observed in a variety of human malignant tumors and is tightly associated with tumor proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and poor patient prognosis. So far, various factors, including immune cells and cytokines, were reported to regulate ovarian cancer progression by influencing VM formation. Herein, we review the mechanisms that regulate VM formation in ovarian cancer and the effect of cells, cytokines, and signaling molecules in the tumor microenvironment on VM formation, Furthermore, we summarize the current clinical application of drugs targeting VM formation.

Keywords: Cytokines; Hypoxia; Macrophage; Ovarian cancer; Tumor microenvironment; Vasculogenic mimicry.