Inhibition of angiogenesis and invasion in malignant gliomas

Abstract

Malignant gliomas confer a dismal prognosis. As the molecular events that underlie tumor angiogenesis are elucidated, angiogenesis inhibition is emerging as a promising therapy for recurrent and newly diagnosed tumors. Data from animal studies suggest that angiogenesis inhibition may promote an invasive phenotype in tumor cells. This may represent an important mechanism of resistance to antiangiogenic therapies. Recent studies have begun to clarify the mechanisms by which glioma cells detach from the tumor mass, remodel the extracellular matrix and infiltrate normal brain. An array of potential therapeutic targets exists. Combination therapy with antiangiogenic and novel anti-invasion agents is a promising approach that may produce a synergistic antitumor effect and a survival benefit for patients with these devastating tumors.

Keywords::

• angiogenesis
• glioblastoma
• invasion
• malignant glioma
• targeted molecular therapy

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Amos Wasgatt and Will Kraft Brain Tumor Research Funds and A Osborne for rendering Figure 1.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Patrick Wen has research support from AstraZeneca, Genetech, Schering, Amgen and GlaxoSmithKline. The remaining authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.