title: Aflibercept (AVE0005): an alternative strategy for inhibiting tumour angiogenesis by vascular endothelial growth factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aberrant angiogenesis is a landmark feature in cancer, which is important for proliferation, growth and metastasis, and is mediated by various pro-angiogenic factors. The VEGF pathway is one of the most important and best-studied angiogenic pathways. Inhibition of this pathway may provide clinical benefits to cancer patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Strategies to inhibit the VEGF pathway, including antibodies to VEGF, antibodies to the extracellular domain of VEGFR-1 or VEGFR-2, decoy receptors for VEGF and tyrosine kinase inhibitors of VEGFRs, are summarized.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review outlines and compares the latest development of these strategies, with emphasis on aflibercept, a novel decoy fusion protein of domain 2 of VEGFR-1 and domain 3 of VEGFR-2 with the Fc fragment of IgG1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aflibercept was shown to have early clinical activity. Multiple studies are ongoing to determine the clinical benefits of aflibercept in cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: University of Alberta, Cross Cancer Institute, Department of Medical Oncology, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1Z2 Canada. quincchu@cancerboard.ab.ca
authors.forename: Quincy Siu-Chung
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply*; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C533178:aflibercept; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor