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The Angiogenesis Signaling Cascade
VEGF and bFGF are first synthesized inside tumor cells
and then secreted into the surrounding tissue. When they encounter endothelial
cells, they bind to specific proteins, called receptors, sitting on the
outer surface of the cells. The binding of either VEGF or bFGF to its
appropriate receptor activates a series of relay proteins that transmits
a signal into the nucleus of the endothelial cells. The nuclear signal
ultimately prompts a group of genes to make products needed for new endothelial
cell growth.
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