THE EFFECT OF ACETYLSALICYLIC ACID ON ANGIOGENESIS IN VITRO

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is an essential aspect of, among others, embryonic development, wound healing and the female reproductive cycle. It is also necessary for the expansion of tumour masses beyond a minute volume. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with additional antitumour activity. We tested ASA for its ability to inhibit angiogenesis in a simplified angiogenesis model, hASC+HUVEC co cultured in vitro, using immunocytochemical staining with fluorescence-marked antibodies and observation of tubulelike structures and their branching under a fluorescence microscope. We confirmed that ASA is an efficient and useful angiogenesis inhibitor and deserves further attention. We intend using the designed angiogenesis model and the methods described for observing changes in angiogenesis after anti tumour photodynamic therapy (PDT), and also for enhancing PDT efficiency by addition of angiogenesis inhibitors