Fig. 8
From: CD36 promotes vasculogenic mimicry in melanoma by mediating adhesion to the extracellular matrix
Schematic concept of CD36 in VM formation and cancer progression. Solid tumor growth is underpinned by angiogenesis and VM. We hypothesize that CD36 expression by tumor ECs and the cancer cells themselves interacts with integrin-α3 to promote adhesion to the tumor ECM (particularly laminin) thus facilitating tumor vascularization (i.e. angiogenesis and VM) and cancer progression. Thrombospondin (TSP-1) is a ligand for CD36 and inhibits EC-lined angiogenesis. By contrast, VM by highly malignant melanoma cells is unperturbed when TSP-1 binds CD36. This schematic was conceptualized and crafted by CSB using Microsoft PowerPoint