Harris S R, Thorgeirsson U P
Laboratory of Cellular Carcinogenesis and Tumor Promotion, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
In Vivo. 1998 Nov-Dec;12(6):563-70.
Angiogenesis is now recognized as a critical process in tumor progression and is required for solid tumors to grow beyond a few millimeters in size. The transition from a non angiogenic to an angiogenic phenotype and subsequent tumor vascularization is not well understood but is likely to involve angiogenic stimulators and inhibitors. Regulation of vascular growth also involves complex interactions of extracellular matrix molecules, proteolytic enzymes and cell adhesion molecules. Each step in the angiogenic process represents a potential target for therapeutic anticancer strategies. Antiangiogenic compounds have proven very successful as cancer treatments in murine animal models and demonstrated utility in treating humans cancers in clinical trials. These agents exhibit reduced toxicity and a decreased likelihood for the development of drug resistance compared to conventional chemotherapies. This review summarizes current knowledge of tumor angiogenesis and the factors involved, and, in addition, presents an overview of current and future antiangiogenic therapies.
血管生成如今被认为是肿瘤进展中的一个关键过程，实体瘤要生长到几毫米以上的大小就需要血管生成。从非血管生成表型向血管生成表型的转变以及随后的肿瘤血管化尚未完全了解，但可能涉及血管生成刺激因子和抑制因子。血管生长的调节还涉及细胞外基质分子、蛋白水解酶和细胞黏附分子的复杂相互作用。血管生成过程中的每一步都代表了治疗性抗癌策略的一个潜在靶点。在小鼠动物模型中，抗血管生成化合物已被证明作为癌症治疗非常成功，并在临床试验中显示出治疗人类癌症的效用。与传统化疗相比，这些药物毒性降低，产生耐药性的可能性也降低。本综述总结了目前关于肿瘤血管生成及其相关因素的知识，此外，还概述了当前和未来的抗血管生成疗法。
