title: The VEGF pathway in cancer and disease: responses, resistance, and the path forward.
abstract: Antiangiogenesis was proposed as a novel target for the treatment of cancer 40 years ago. Since the original hypothesis put forward by Judah Folkman in 1971, factors that mediate angiogenesis, their cellular targets, many of the pathways they signal, and inhibitors of the cytokines and receptors have been identified. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the most prominent among the angiogenic cytokines and is believed to play a central role in the process of neovascularization, both in cancer as well as other inflammatory diseases. This article reviews the biology of VEGF and its receptors, the use of anti-VEGF approaches in clinical disease, the toxicity of these therapies, and the resistance mechanisms that have limited the activity of these agents when used as monotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Medical Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA. mark_kieran@dfci.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kieran
authors.forename: Raghu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalluri
authors.forename: Yoon-Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015854:Up-Regulation; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D016207:Cytokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040301:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2