[Tumour angiogenesis inhibition by therapeutic monoclonal antibodies]

The development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAb) provided many great advances in the treatment of some diseases, in particular cancers. In the treatment of cancers, tumour angiogenesis inhibition by mAb occupies a major place. Tumour angiogenesis is a highly complex multifactor process in which many molecules, which originate both in the tumor cells or their environment, display pro- or anti-angiogenic functions. Many molecular pathways, among which those triggered by vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor and integrins, are currently under investigation in therapeutic anti-angiogenesis research. Bevacizumab is to date the only mAb targeting the tumour vasculature that is currently used in clinical practice. Clinical trials have revealed its efficacy in colorectal, breast, kidney and lung cancers and gliobastoma multiforme. Such a success confirms the effectiveness in the treatment of cancer of using mAb inhibiting tumour angiogenesis, and many mAb targeting different angiogenesis pathways will probably be developed. Beyond clinical oncology, angiogenesis inhibition by mAb is of increasing interest in many other fields of medicine. It could offer interesting therapeutic strategies in some cardiovascular or rheumatologic diseases and currently represents the standard cure in some blinding ocular disorders.