Plavetić Natalija Dedić, Letilović Tomislav, Vrbanec Damir
Zavod za internisticku onkologiju Klinike za onkologiju, Medicinski fakultet i KBC Zagreb.
Lijec Vjesn. 2003 Sep-Oct;125(9-10):260-5.
The development of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) is necessary to sustain the growth of primary tumor as well as a process of tumor metastasis. Cancer cells activate the quiescent vasculature to produce new blood vessels via an "angiogenic switch". Understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in that process is essential for the development of antiangiogenic drugs. Drugs that inhibit angiogenesis could offer a treatment that is complementary to traditional chemotherapy. Chemotherapy directly targets tumor cells, which are prone to develop acquired drug resistance due to genetic instability. Antiangiogenic therapy is directed against endothelial cells in tumor stroma, which are genetically stabile. First results from animal studies supported the theory that endothelial cells do not develop drug resistance and had excellent results in inducing tumor quiescence. However, recent clinical trials showed that antiangiogenic therapy has limitations but that it can improve conventional therapeutic modalities of disseminated disease.
新血管生成（血管生成）对于维持原发性肿瘤的生长以及肿瘤转移过程是必要的。癌细胞通过“血管生成开关”激活静止的脉管系统以产生新血管。了解该过程中涉及的分子机制对于抗血管生成药物的开发至关重要。抑制血管生成的药物可以提供一种与传统化疗互补的治疗方法。化疗直接靶向肿瘤细胞，由于基因不稳定，肿瘤细胞容易产生获得性耐药性。抗血管生成疗法针对的是肿瘤基质中的内皮细胞，这些细胞基因稳定。动物研究的初步结果支持了内皮细胞不会产生耐药性的理论，并且在诱导肿瘤静止方面取得了优异的结果。然而，最近的临床试验表明，抗血管生成疗法有局限性，但它可以改善播散性疾病的传统治疗方式。
