Tumor Angiogenesis and Anti-Angiogenic Therapy

Anti-angiogenic therapy was a cancer treatment strategy that targeted the formation of new blood vessels supplying nutrients to tumors, aiming to minimize side effects compared to traditional therapies. The primary approach involved inhibiting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway, which demonstrated significant therapeutic effects across various cancers, including in patients with progressive or recurrent disease. However, some patients exhibited resistance or developed resistance to VEGF inhibitors, and blocking VEGF could harm healthy vessels, leading to adverse effects such as hemorrhagic and thrombotic events. Research at the time identified alternative VEGF-independent and tumor-selective pro-angiogenic mechanisms that could be targeted to enhance treatment outcomes.