Modes of Resistance to Anti-angiogenic Therapy

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Cancer

Specialty Oncology

Date 2008 Jul 25

PMID 18650835

Citations 1372

Authors

Gabriele Bergers

Douglas Hanahan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Angiogenesis inhibitors targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signalling pathways are affording demonstrable therapeutic efficacy in mouse models of cancer and in an increasing number of human cancers. However, in both preclinical and clinical settings, the benefits are at best transitory and are followed by a restoration of tumour growth and progression. Emerging data support a proposition that two modes of unconventional resistance underlie such results: evasive resistance, an adaptation to circumvent the specific angiogenic blockade; and intrinsic or pre-existing indifference. Multiple mechanisms can be invoked in different tumour contexts to manifest both evasive and intrinsic resistance, motivating assessment of their prevalence and importance and in turn the design of pharmacological strategies that confer enduring anti-angiogenic therapies.

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