# Liver kinase B1 in angiogenesis

> **NIH NIH R01** · GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $460,084

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Recent evidence indicates that endothelial cell via angiocrine factors promote tumor
growth and metastasis. Understanding how excessive amount of angiocrine factors are
produced and how they influence tumor development might unveil novel targets for
therapies. Our exciting preliminary data demonstrates Liver Kinase B1 (LKB1), a tumor
suppressor gene, regulates Neuropilin (NRP)-1 and VEGF, suggesting that LKB1 may
be a central mediator of angiogenesis and tumor growth through its inhibitory function
on NRP-1 and VEGF. The central hypothesis of this application is that LKB1 in both
ECs and tumor cells down-regulates NRP-1 and other pro-angiogenic factors (PDGF &
FGFR) while inhibiting Sp1-induced VEGF transcriptional activation thereby maintaining
a state of suppressed angiogenesis and tumor growth. There are three interrelated aims
to validate or to refute this hypothesis. Aim 1 is to establish if LKB1 leads to decreased
VEGF expression through impeding transcriptional activation hence altering
physiological angiogenesis. Aim 2 is to establish if LKB1 suppresses NRP-1 and other
non-VEGF growth factors-mediated angiogenesis. Finally, in Aim 3, we will determine
the contribution of LKB1 down-regulation of VEGF and NRP-1 within the vascular niche
in vivo. We fully anticipate the completion of this project will help define the molecular
mechanism by which LKB1 suppresses transcriptional expression and activity of VEGF,
NRP-1, and other pro-angiogenic factors (FGFR & PDGFR) within the vascular niche
resulting in a reduction in tumor growth and ischemic angiogenesis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9827545
- **Project number:** 5R01CA213022-04
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MING-HUI ZOU
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $460,084
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-12-07 → 2021-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9827545

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9827545, Liver kinase B1 in angiogenesis (5R01CA213022-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9827545. Licensed CC0.

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