RECEPTOR TYROSINE KINASES AS TARGETS FOR INHIBITION OF ANGIOGENESIS

Anti-angiogenic agents potentially have broad applications in the clin ic. Although most agents now in development are intended ultimately fo r use as anti-cancer drugs, patients with a range of disorders may ben efit in the longer term. The signal recognition and transduction proce sses involved in controlling angiogenesis are complex and are likely t o be dependent on the status of the target endothelial cell in a speci fic organ or tissue. In this review, the authors focus on signaling in teractions that affect microvascular endothelium and the role of growt h factors and their receptor tyrosine kinases in the regulation of mic rovessel physiology as they relate to the angiogenic process.