Expression of the enzyme heparanase is associated with the invasive, angiogenic, and metastatic potential of a variety of malignant tumors, and with poor survival of cancer patients. In a new study, Israel Vlodavsky, Ph.D., of the Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine in Haifa, Israel, and colleagues of the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem found that silencing the heparanase gene in mouse tumors resulted in less vascularization and metastasis and extended the survival of the mice.

The authors conclude that heparanase gene silencing could be a potential target for anticancer drug development.

Contact: Israel Vlodavsky, Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine (Technion, Haifa), 972-4-829-5410, vlodavsk@cc.huji.ac.il

Contact: Sarah L. Zielinski
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Journal of the National Cancer Institute

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