Fig. 1: Slug deficiency inhibits tumor growth by reducing tumor angiogenesis.

a Growth curve of CMT-93 colorectal tumors in WT (n = 24) and SlugKO (n = 27) mice. b Growth curve of MC-38 colon tumors in WT (n = 11) and SlugKO (n = 12) mice. c Matrigel plugs harvested from WT and SlugKO mice. Scale bar: 1 cm. d CD31 staining of Matrigel sections reveals reduced EC recruitment (CD31⁺ EC indicated by white arrow heads), reduced vessel formation (indicated by lack of lumenized vessels, shown by red arrow heads in control), and reduced stromal cellularity (indicated by decreased CD31⁻/hematoxylin⁺ cells, shown by black arrow heads) in Matrigel plugs of SlugKO mice. Double red lines indicate border between native mouse skin and Matrigel. Scale bar: 100 µm. e Average percent CD31⁺ area in Matrigel sections from WT (n = 10) and SlugKO (n = 9) mice. p = 0.036. f Average percent lumenized vessel area in Matrigel sections from WT (n = 7) and SlugKO (n = 7) mice. p = 0.037. g CD31 staining of Matrigel sections indicates that the addition of WT mF cannot rescue the impaired EC recruitment in SlugKO mice. Red line indicates border between native mouse skin and Matrigel. Scale bar: 100 µm. h Average percent CD31⁺ area in Matrigel sections from WT (n = 12) and SlugKO (mF−: n = 17, mF + : n = 17) mice. p = 0.004. Data represent mean ± SEM. Two-tailed unpaired equal-variance t test. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.005. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.