Basement Membrane Laminin-Derived Peptide Sikvav Promotes Angiogenesis and Tumor Growth

The basement membrane is a thin extracellular matrix which underlies endothelial cells in vessels and forms a barrier to the passage of macromolecules and cells (Martin et al, 1988). Basement membranes also provide structural support and are very biologically active (Kleinman et al, 1987; Beck et al, 1990). The major and constant components of basement membranes include laminin, collagen IV, entactin, heparan sulfate proteoglycan and various growth factors (Martin et al, 1988; Vukicevic et al, 1992). These components interact with each other to form a highly elastic and organized structure.