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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
A Simple Bioassay for the Evaluation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
Published on: March 15, 2016
Anti-VEGF therapy: the search for clinical biomarkers
Raffaele Longo1, Giampietro Gasparini
1Division of Medical Oncology, 'San Filippo Neri' Hospital, Via Martinotti 20, 00135 Rome, Italy. raflongo@libero.it
Abstract:
Despite the large diffusion and rapid development of anti-VEGF therapy in clinical practice and in contrast to the consolidated evidence with imatinib and trastuzumab that demonstrated a direct correlation between pre-treatment target expression and drug activity, it is very difficult, at present, to identify validated and useful biomarkers to monitor the efficacy of these compounds and to appropriately select patients most likely to benefit from such treatments. However, emerging data suggest that this is not presently feasible for antiangiogenic drugs. Although tumoral and/or circulating VEGF levels have been associated with tumor progression and/or poor prognosis, to date, there is no validated evidence suggesting their role as potential predictive biomarkers of response to anti-VEGF therapy. Recently, many studies have documented promising results with the evaluation of circulating endothelial cells and/or progenitors, and the use of several imaging techniques, such as dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, PET, dynamic CT scan and functional ultrasound. These preliminary data need a validation in larger prospective trials.
Insights
Identifying reliable biomarkers to predict response to anti-VEGF therapy remains challenging. Current methods like VEGF levels are insufficient, but emerging techniques show promise.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Anti-VEGF therapy is widely used, but predicting patient response is difficult.
- Unlike targeted therapies (imatinib, trastuzumab), validated biomarkers for anti-VEGF efficacy are lacking.
- Tumoral/circulating VEGF levels correlate with prognosis but not treatment response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current challenges in identifying predictive biomarkers for anti-VEGF therapy.
- To explore emerging biomarkers and imaging techniques for monitoring anti-VEGF treatment efficacy.
- To highlight the need for validation of novel approaches in prospective trials.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of anti-VEGF therapy, biomarker studies, and imaging techniques.
- Analysis of current evidence regarding VEGF levels, circulating endothelial cells/progenitors, and imaging modalities.
- Synthesis of preliminary findings and identification of research gaps.
Main Results:
- No validated predictive biomarkers currently exist for anti-VEGF therapy efficacy.
- Tumoral/circulating VEGF levels are not reliable predictors of response.
- Emerging methods like circulating endothelial cells and advanced imaging show potential but require further validation.
Conclusions:
- Predicting response to anti-VEGF therapy is a significant clinical challenge.
- Novel biomarkers and imaging techniques show promise but need rigorous validation.
- Larger prospective trials are essential to establish reliable predictive tools for anti-angiogenic treatments.
