title: In vitro vascular tube formation testing as a tool for treatment individualisation in patients with cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Targeted tumour therapies are promising, but their results in unselected patient populations are modest and tumour growth and metastasis may be promoted rather than suppressed in some cases. The present study investigates the suitability of vascular in vitro tube formation as a tool for the identification of cervical neoplasms that will respond to bevacizumab therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients with recurrent cervical cancer selected from the ongoing cervical cancer monitoring database of the Charité University Hospital Berlin, Germany, were included. Information obtained from the database included tumour stage, malignancy grade, presence of nodal metastases, lymph vessel invasion, patient age and menopausal status and serum concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), endostatin and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGF-R1). Vascular tube formation was assessed with cultured human umbilical vein epithelial cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five patients showed a positive, 5 an inverse and 5 no in vitro response to bevacizumab. Tube length showed a marked and significant dependency on bevacizumab response. Besides tube length, VEGF-R1 concentration was the only variable with some correlation to bevacizumab response, with high levels especially for inverse responders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The identification of patients with a likely benefit from targeted therapies is crucial. Tube formation shows substantial potential, but its utility needs to be confirmed in studies on the clinical rather than in vitro response to bevacizumab.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. solveiglandt@yahoo.de
authors.forename: Solveig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Landt
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heidecke
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Korlach
authors.forename: Cora
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: Ilka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schwidde
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barinoff
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thill
authors.forename: Jalid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sehouli
authors.forename: Sherko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kümmel
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D043169:Endostatins / Q000097:blood; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D043169:Endostatins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D000068258:Bevacizumab