[VEGF and its receptors as therapeutic target in cancer therapy]

Vascular endothelial growth factor is the main mediator of angiogenesis. For the time being five members of VEGF familly have been discovered and marked A to E. First of them VEGF-A, previously named vascular permeability factor, possesses five isoforms. Some of them are connected to extracellular matrix, other are soluble. Two isoforms of VEGF-B are also distinguished. VEGF-A and VEGF-B play major roles in angiogenesis as ligands of tyrosine activity receptors: VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2. VEGF-C and VEGF-D are responsible for lymphangio-genesis as VEGFR-3 ligands; however VEGF-C being related to the second receptor may also influence angiogenesis. The least known is the function of VEGF-E. Angiogenic factors are attractive targets for cancer therapy because of inhibition of VEGF functions they cause "dormic tumors". Nowadays research of several inhibitors of angiogenesis takes place, and some of them have already reached the third phase.