Is there really a yin and yang to VEGF-targeted therapies?

Abstract

The discovery of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a critical factor in tumour angiogenesis and growth has provided the foundation for the development of numerous treatments that inhibit the activity of this pathway. The fact that VEGF heterozygous knockout leads to embryonic lethality shows the importance of this pathway in vascular development and homoeostasis. VEGF-targeted treatments are now routinely used in a number of cancer types. However, initial expectations for anti-angiogenic treatments—eg, prolonged tumour dormancy, minimum toxic effects, and effectiveness in all tumour types—have not been met.