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Antiangiogenic therapy: a universal chemosensitization strategy for cancer?

Robert S Kerbel1

  • 1Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Departments of Medical Biophysics and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada. robert.kerbel@sri.utoronto.ca

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|May 27, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Certain antiangiogenic drugs show promise in cancer therapy by making cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy. These drugs work by normalizing tumor blood vessels, slowing cancer cell growth, and enhancing chemotherapy

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Therapeutics
  • Drug Development

Background:

  • A long-standing goal in cancer research is to find agents that enhance chemotherapy's effectiveness without increasing side effects.
  • Recent clinical trials suggest antiangiogenic drugs may achieve this goal.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explain the mechanisms by which antiangiogenic drugs sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy.
  • To discuss strategies for optimizing the therapeutic use of these drugs.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing research and clinical trial data on antiangiogenic drugs and chemotherapy.
  • Analysis of proposed biological mechanisms of action.

Main Results:

  • Antiangiogenic drugs may chemosensitize tumors through three primary mechanisms: normalizing tumor vasculature, inhibiting rapid tumor cell repopulation, and potentiating chemotherapy's antivascular effects.
  • These mechanisms offer potential avenues for improving cancer treatment efficacy.

Conclusions:

  • Antiangiogenic drugs represent a promising strategy for enhancing cytotoxic chemotherapy.
  • Understanding and exploiting these mechanisms can lead to more effective cancer treatment regimens.

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