The effect of SMAD4 expression on angiogenesis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Aims: SMAD proteins have been implicated as downstream effectors of TGFβ/BMP signaling. TGFß activates receptors on the cell surface, stimulating the phosphorylation of receptor-regulated SMAD proteins, which then form complexes with SMAD4 that accumulate in the nucleus and activate TGFß responsive gene transcription (e.g. Collagen-I, WAF-1). SMAD4 is inactivated in 50% of the pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Methods: We compared BxPC3 cells with and without SMAD4 reconstitution in vitro regarding proliferation, invasion, migration and gene expression. Moreover we analyzed the vessel density in tumors derived from th…