Targeting VEGF-A to treat cancer and age-related macular degeneration.
Inhibiting angiogenesis is a promising strategy to treat cancer and several other disorders, including intraocular neovascular syndromes. The identification of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A as a major regulator of normal and pathological angiogenesis has enabled significant progress toward effective treatments for such disorders. Several VEGF inhibitors have been recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of cancer and the neovascular form of age-related macular degeneration. This review summarizes the basic biology of VEGF-A and illustrates the clinical progress in targeting this molecule.
Ferrara
Napoleone
N
Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, USA. nf@gene.com
Mass
Robert D
RD
Campa
Claudio
C
Kim
Robert
R
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology*
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A