RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ANGIOGENESIS

Inhibitors of angiogenesis have considerable therapeutic potential for the treatment of malignant tumours which are angiogenesis-dependent, as well as for the treatment of specific angiogenic diseases, such as proliferative retinopathy. Recent work suggests that inhibitors fall i nto several categories. Those that inhibit in some manner the angiogen ic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) either by disrupt ion of VEGF receptor-mediated signal transduction (chemokines), or by preparation of soluble receptor molecules for VEGF which bind specific ally to circulating VEGF without stimulating mitogenesis, thus inhibit ing binding to receptors on the vascular endothelial cells themselves. Another method is the production of inhibitors of matrix metalloprote inases (MMPs) and specific integrins (alpha v beta(3)), which generall y act in a similar manner to prevent vascular assembly. Particularly e xciting is the recent description of a naturally-occurring anti-angiog enic peptide which is secreted by primary tumours and inhibits metasta ses, This protein, angiostatin, is able to induce dormancy in tumours with concurrent regression. The possibilities for therapy with this pr otein are very promising.