Vascular endothelial growth factor and anti-angiogenic peptides as therapeutic and investigational molecules.

The fundamental importance of angiogenesis in health and disease makes both inhibition and stimulation of blood vessel formation a major therapeutic goal. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the single most important angiogenic factor in disease-associated neovascularization and is both a major focus for the development of anti-angiogenic medicines for cancer and a candidate pro-angiogenic cytokine for the treatment of ischemic heart disease. The development of VEGF-specific or vascular-specific peptides is an emerging approach to the design of therapeutic molecules targeted against pathophysiological angiogenesis. This article highlights recent progress toward the development of anti-angiogenic and vascular-specific peptides with a focus on peptidic VEGF receptor antagonists.