Regulation of tumor angiogenesis and mesenchymal–endothelial transition by p38α through TGF-β and JNK signaling

Abstract

Mesenchymal cells contribute to tumor angiogenesis by regulating proliferation and migration of endothelial cells. Here, the authors show that mesenchymal stem cells also have the ability to acquire an endothelial phenotype upon TGF-β stimulation via the downstream kinase JNK, and that p38α negatively regulates this process.