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Insulin-like growth factor axis targeting in cancer and tumour angiogenesis - the missing link

Judy R van Beijnum1, Wietske Pieters1, Patrycja Nowak-Sliwinska2

  • 1Department of Medical Oncology, Angiogenesis Laboratory, VU University Medical Center, PO box 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society
|October 26, 2016
PubMed

Insights

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signalling axis plays a key role in tumor angiogenesis. Targeting IGFs offers new therapeutic opportunities for combination anti-cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Tumor angiogenesis is crucial for cancer growth and metastasis.
  • The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling axis is implicated in cancer progression.
  • Previous therapeutic targeting of the IGF axis yielded limited success.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of the IGF signaling axis in tumor angiogenesis.
  • To explore mechanisms of resistance to IGF-targeted therapies.
  • To examine the interplay between IGF signaling and other pro-angiogenic pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of preclinical and clinical studies.
  • Analysis of molecular mechanisms.
  • Synthesis of data on therapeutic resistance and combination strategies.

Main Results:

  • The IGF axis significantly contributes to tumor angiogenesis.
  • Resistance to IGF-targeted therapy can arise through various mechanisms.
  • The IGF axis interacts with other pro-angiogenic pathways, suggesting combination therapy potential.

Conclusions:

  • The IGF signaling axis presents a promising target for anti-cancer therapies, particularly in combination strategies.
  • Understanding resistance mechanisms is key to optimizing IGF-targeted treatments.
  • Further research into combination therapies involving IGF axis inhibitors is warranted.
Keywords:
IGFIGF1Rangiogenesiscancerinsulinresistancetherapy

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