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Monitoring Functionality and Morphology of Vasculature Recruited by Factors Secreted by Fast-growing Tumor-generating Cells
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Molecular and cellular biomarkers for angiogenesis in clinical oncology

Francesco Bertolini1, Patrizia Mancuso, Yuval Shaked

  • 1Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, European Institute of Oncology, 20141 Milan, Italy. francesco.bertolini@ieo.it

Drug Discovery Today
|October 16, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Identifying optimal anti-angiogenic drugs for cancer treatment is challenging. This study explores circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and progenitors (CEPs) as promising biomarkers for angiogenesis, addressing the need for better cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biomarker Discovery

Background:

  • Anti-angiogenic drugs are crucial in cancer therapy, but treatment optimization remains difficult.
  • Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and circulating endothelial progenitors (CEPs) show promise as cancer biomarkers.
  • Identifying reliable molecular markers for endothelial cells is complex.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss the biological and technical aspects of discovering and validating new biomarkers for angiogenesis.
  • To address the challenges in selecting optimal anti-angiogenic drugs, dosages, and schedules for cancer patients.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on angiogenesis biomarkers.
  • Discussion of biological properties of CECs and CEPs.
  • Analysis of technical challenges in biomarker validation.

Main Results:

  • CECs and CEPs are modulated in various diseases, including cancer, indicating their potential as surrogate biomarkers.
  • The complexity of identifying endothelial cell-specific genes and antigens currently limits molecular marker development.
  • The study highlights the need for robust methods to search and validate novel angiogenesis biomarkers.

Conclusions:

  • CECs and CEPs represent promising avenues for developing novel biomarkers in oncology.
  • Further research into the biological and technical facets of biomarker discovery is essential for advancing anti-angiogenic cancer therapy.
  • Improved biomarkers will aid in personalizing cancer treatment and optimizing anti-angiogenic drug efficacy.

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