title: Anti-angiogenic therapy in pediatric brain tumors: an effective strategy?
abstract: Brain tumors are still the leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality among children, despite different therapeutic options including neurosurgery, chemotherapy and radiation. As angiogenesis is highly crucial in brain tumor growth and progression, numerous clinical trials evaluating diverse anti-angiogenic agents have been described. In the present review, we aimed to answer the question if anti-angiogenic therapy is an effective strategy in the treatment of children with brain tumors. Although some encouraging results have been published of anti-angiogenic therapy targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGF receptor signaling or epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), still more insight is warranted to be highly conclusive about the efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapy with currently potential upcoming anti-angiogenic agents in pediatric brain tumors. However, given the need for new therapeutic strategies, multi targeted therapy with anti-angiogenic agents anticipating on possible tumor escape mechanisms could be effective in the future treatment of pediatric brain tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Pediatric Oncology/Hematology Division, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.sie@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Mariska
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sie
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Pathology Division, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wilfred F A
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: den Dunnen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eelco W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Hoving
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Pediatric Oncology/Hematology Division, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: e.s.j.m.de.bont@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Eveline S J M
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: de Bont
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors
keywords: Angiogenesis; Anti-angiogenic therapy; Clinical trials; Epidermal growth factor receptor; Pediatric brain tumors; Vascular endothelial growth factor (receptor)