title: A surrogate marker to monitor angiogenesis at last.
abstract: The first angiogenesis inhibitor has recently been approved for cancer treatment. Nonetheless, optimizing the dose of novel angiogenesis inhibitors remains a formidable challenge--primarily because we lack reliable surrogate markers of tumor angiogenesis. In this issue, Shaked et al. provide evidence that the levels of circulating endothelial precursor cells (CEPs), which contribute to the formation of tumor vessels, are genetically predetermined and regulated by angiogenic factors, and reflect the antitumor efficacy of angiogenesis inhibitors. These findings highlight the potential usefulness of CEPs as a surrogate marker to monitor and adjust antiangiogenic therapy.
authors.affiliation: The Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology, the Center for Transgene Technology and Gene Therapy, KULeuven, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tjwa
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carmeliet
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D015415:Biomarkers