IMR Press / FBE / Volume 3 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.2741/E268

Frontiers in Bioscience-Elite (FBE) is published by IMR Press from Volume 13 Issue 2 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Article

Therapeutic approaches targeting tumor vasculature in gastrointestinal cancers

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1 Department of Cancer Chemotherapy, KAKEN Hospital, International University of Health and Welfare. 6-1-14 Kounodai, Ichikawa 272-0827, Japan
2 Nishioka Consulting, P.O. Box 720367, Houston, TX 77272-0367, USA

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed,

 

Front. Biosci. (Elite Ed) 2011, 3(2), 541–548; https://doi.org/10.2741/E268
Published: 1 January 2011
Abstract

Antiangiogenic therapy, especially anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody therapy, has become an important treatment option for the management of a number of human malignancies including some gastrointestinal tumors. However, there have been many cases of resistance observed against anti-VEGF antibody treatment. As to the first reason, some types of advanced colon cancers do not upregulate VEGF. As to the second reason, not a few malignancies will acquire phenotypic resistance to VEGF or its receptors after anti-VEGF antibody therapy. The molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with the resistance to VEGF-targeted agents are not fully understood. Better understanding of the mechanisms and improvement of antiangiogenic regimens to overcome drug resistance would help in the selection of those patients who are more likely to benefit from VEGF-targeted therapy. Other possible applications of anti-VEGF antibody include chemoprevention of cancer progression. It is well known that angiogenic switch and upregulation of angiogenic cascades are essential for cancer development. Therefore, prophylatic application of anti-VEGF antibody before angiogenic switch may inhibit aggressive growth of these malignancies at an initial phase.

Keywords
Angiogenesis
Anti-VEGF Therapy
Gastrointestinal Cancers
Resistance
VEGF
Targeted therapy
Angiogenic Switch
Review
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