AACR - 91st meeting. Interview with Dr James M Pluda

Angiogenesis is a complex multi-step process that leads to the establishment of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones. Angiogenesis is important in many physiological processes, such as reproduction, development and wound healing. However, it also plays a part in a number of pathological conditions, including cancer, where the tight regulation under which this process normally functions is disturbed. Although a relatively new field for drug discovery, therapeutics have been described that are able to prevent or limit the extent to which a tumor can survive and grow through the rapid proliferation of the endothelial vasculature. There are no late-stage drugs targeting angiogenesis at present, but a number of reports at this year's AACR did describe some new approaches in this field. In an interview, Dr James M Pluda (Senior Clinical Investigator; Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Rockville, MD, USA), who oversees NCI's clinical drug development program for angiogenesis inhibitors, discussed developments in the field of angiogenesis, and how the NCI is helping to expand the portfolio of novel anti-angiogenic therapeutics which are making their way through preclinical trials and are ultimately made available to the public.