Figure 5 | Laboratory Investigation

Figure 5

From: Prognostic significance of VEGF, VEGF receptors, and microvessel density in diffuse large B cell lymphoma treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy

Figure 5

DLBCL coexpressing high levels of VEGF and VEGFR-1 may be dependent on autocrine signaling for survival or proliferation. A hypothetical model of a lymphoma cell expressing high levels of VEGF and VEGFR-1. (a) High levels of VEGF mRNA are transcribed and VEGF protein is secreted locally, binds cell-surface VEGFR-1, and initiates intracellular survival and/or proliferation signaling cascades. (b) The autocrine feedback loop may be ‘private,’ and thus may be accessible to cell permeable VEGFR-1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors but not recombinant proteins that act as extracellular VEGF sinks. (c) Components of standard anthracycline-based chemotherapy such as doxorubicin may interrupt this autocrine feedback loop, perhaps by inhibiting transcription of VEGF mRNA, leading to decreased proliferation signals and/or increased apoptosis.

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