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Angiogenesis Inhibitors

Angiogenesis is the process which forms new blood vessels. Like normal tissues in the body, tumours need to develop blood vessels to supply oxygen and nutrients in order for them to grow and spread. Angiogenesis inhibitors are substances which prevent this formation of new blood vessels, thereby stopping or slowing the growth or spread of tumours. Inhibitors work in different ways:

  • by blocking angiogenesis growth factors (substances, such as VEGF, which promote the process of developing new blood vessels).
  • by blocking signalling within the cells (such as Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors which prevent VEGF receptors on the surface of blood vessel cells from sending growth signals into the cell)
  • by acting on the chemical messengers that cells use to signal to each other to grow
However, when a specific angiogenesis promoter is blocked, some cancers eventually grow blood vessels by using a different angiogenesis promoter.

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    MeSH term: Angiogenesis Inhibitors
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Latest Research Publications

This list of publications is regularly updated (Source: PubMed).

Vachhani P, George S
VEGF inhibitors in renal cell carcinoma.
Clin Adv Hematol Oncol. 2016; 14(12):1016-1028 [PubMed] Related Publications
The arrival of targeted therapies-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway inhibitors and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors-and programmed death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors has transformed the management of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Once considered fatal, with a median survival of approximately 1 year, these agents have nearly tripled overall survival and have raised hopes of a possible cure for advanced RCC. This review begins with a brief discussion of the seminal von Hippel-Lindau/hypoxia-inducible factor axis in RCC. It then discusses the pivotal trials that have investigated VEGF inhibitors in metastatic RCC, as well as in adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings. Finally, it addresses some practical considerations and future directions in the use of VEGF inhibitors in RCC.

Cai Y, Zhang J, Li Z
Multi-scale mathematical modelling of tumour growth and microenvironments in anti-angiogenic therapy.
Biomed Eng Online. 2016; 15(Suppl 2):155 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis, a process of generation of new blood vessels from the pre-existing vasculature, has been demonstrated to be a basic prerequisite for sustainable growth and proliferation of tumour. Anti-angiogenic treatments show normalization of tumour vasculature and microenvironment at least transiently in both preclinical and clinical settings.
METHODS: In this study, we proposed a multi-scale mathematical model to simulate the dynamic changes of tumour microvasculature and microenvironment in response to anti-angiogenic drug endostatin (ES). We incorporated tumour growth, angiogenesis and vessel remodelling at tissue level, by coupling tumour cell phenotypes and endothelial cell behaviour in response to local chemical and haemodynamical microenvironment.
RESULTS: Computational simulation results showed the tumour morphology and growth curves in general tumour progression and following different anti-angiogenic drug strategies. Furthermore, different anti-angiogenic drug strategies were designed to test the influence of ES on tumour growth and morphology. The largest reduction of tumour size was found when ES is injected at simulation time 100, which was concomitant with the emergence of angiogenesis phase.
CONCLUSION: The proposed model not only can predict detailed information of chemicals distribution and vessel remodelling, but also has the potential to specific anti-angiogenic drugs by modifying certain functional modules.

Afriansyah A, Hamid AR, Mochtar CA, Umbas R
Targeted Therapy for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.
Acta Med Indones. 2016; 48(4):335-347 [PubMed] Related Publications
In the past 10 years, recent development of targeted therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) has provided a new hope and significantly enhanced the prognosis of the disease. Three class of targeted therapy were developed, including multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex-1 kinase inhibitors, and the humanized antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monoclonal antibody. Hence, the objective of this article was to critically examine the current evidence of targeted therapy treatment for patients with mRCC. In the majority of trials evaluating targeted therapy, patients were stratified according to Memorial Sloan Kattering Cancer Center (MSKCC) risk model and the recommendation of targeted treatment based on risk features. In first-line setting (no previous treatment), sunitinib, pazopanib, or bevacizumab plus IFN-α were recommended as treatment options for patient with favorable- or intermediate- risk features and clear cell histology. Patients who progressed after previous cytokine therapy would have sorafenib or axitinib as treatment options. Clear-cell mRCC with favorable- or intermediate- risk features and failure with first-line TKI therapy might be treated with sorafenib, everolimus, temsirolimus or axitinib. However, the current evidence did not show the best treatment sequencing after first-line TKI failure. In patients with poor-risk clear-cell and non-clear cell mRCC, temsirolimus was the treatment option supported by phase III clinical trial. In addition, several new drugs, nowadays, are still being investigated and waiting for the result of phase II or III clinical trial, and this might change the standard therapy for mRCC in the future.

Abdel-Qadir H, Ethier JL, Lee DS, et al.
Cardiovascular toxicity of angiogenesis inhibitors in treatment of malignancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Cancer Treat Rev. 2017; 53:120-127 [PubMed] Related Publications
BACKGROUND: The cardiovascular risk of angiogenesis inhibitors is not well-quantified. We hypothesized that, compared to direct vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors (anti-VEGF antibodies or decoy receptors), small molecule agents have higher risk due to their less specific mechanism.
METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for phase III randomised controlled trials comparing angiogenesis inhibitor-based therapy to other systemic therapy. Outcomes evaluated were hypertension, severe hypertension, cardiac dysfunction, congestive heart failure, cardiac ischemia, arterial thromboembolism, venous thromboembolism, and fatal cardiovascular events. Data were pooled using Mantel-Haenszel random effects method to generate odds ratios (OR).
RESULTS: We identified 77 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Compared to routine care, angiogenesis inhibitors were associated with a higher risk of hypertension (OR 5.28 [4.53-6.15], number needed to harm [NNH] 6), severe hypertension (OR 5.59 [4.67-6.69], NNH 17), cardiac ischemia (OR 2.83 [1.72-4.65], NNH 85) and cardiac dysfunction (OR 1.35 [1.06-1.70], NNH 139). VEGF inhibitors were associated with an increased risk of arterial thromboembolism (OR 1.52 [1.17-1.98], NNH 141). No significant interaction was observed between the two drug subgroups for any outcomes. We identified no significant increase in the risk of the other outcomes evaluated.
CONCLUSION: Angiogenesis inhibitors increase the risk of hypertension, arterial thromboembolism, cardiac ischemia and cardiac dysfunction. There was no significant difference in cardiovascular risk between direct VEGF inhibitors and small molecule agents.

Aalders KC, Tryfonidis K, Senkus E, Cardoso F
Anti-angiogenic treatment in breast cancer: Facts, successes, failures and future perspectives.
Cancer Treat Rev. 2017; 53:98-110 [PubMed] Related Publications
Angiogenesis is one of the hallmarks of cancer and a crucial requisite in the development of tumors. Interrupting this process by blocking the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with the monoclonal antibody bevacizumab has been considered a possible breakthrough in the treatment of various types of cancer, especially for advanced disease. However in breast cancer, studies have shown ambivalent results causing debate about the value of this drug. In this article, we review the evidence for anti-angiogenic treatment options for breast cancer, as well as discuss the possible factors limiting the effectiveness of anti-angiogenic agents and offer a recommendation regarding the future research on these therapies for the treatment of breast cancer.

Dai D, Zhang CF, Williams S, et al.
Ginseng on Cancer: Potential Role in Modulating Inflammation-Mediated Angiogenesis.
Am J Chin Med. 2017; 45(1):13-22 [PubMed] Related Publications
Angiogenesis is a regulated process integral to many physiological and pathological situations, including carcinogenesis and tumor growth. The majority of the angiogenic processes are related to inflammation. The interplay is not only important in the case of pathogen entry but also influential in chronic inflammatory diseases, tumor growth and tissue regeneration. Modulating the interaction between inflammation and angiogenesis could be an important target for cancer treatment and wound healing alike. Ginseng has a wide range of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory and angiogenesis-modulating activities. This paper presents the recent research progresses on the inhibition of angiogenesis by ginseng and its active constituents, with a particular focus on processes mediated by inflammation. The modulatory role of ginseng compounds in inflammation-mediated angiogenesis involving hypoxia and microRNAs are also discussed. With the potential to modulate the angiogenesis at the transcriptional, translational and protein signaling level via various different mechanisms, ginseng could prove to be effective in cancer therapeutics.

Gridelli C, Camerini A, Pappagallo G, et al.
Clinical and radiological features driving patient selection for antiangiogenic therapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Cancer Imaging. 2016; 16(1):44 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
BACKGROUND: The use of antiangiogenic therapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) requires thorough evaluation of patient characteristics in order to avoid potential safety issues, particularly pulmonary haemorrhage (PH). The aim of this consensus by a panel of experts was to identify important criteria for the selection of patients with NSCLC who would benefit from antiangiogenic therapy.
METHODS: Radiologists and oncologists were selected for the expert panel. The nominal group technique (NGT) and the Delphi questionnaire were used for consensus generation. The NGT consisted of four steps, the result of which was used to set the Delphi questionnaire. A final report was generated based on the opinions of the experts from the panel.
RESULTS: An extremely important prerequisite for the evaluation of an antiangiogenic therapeutic approach in patients with NSCLC was thorough clinical and radiological analysis of the relationships between tumour and vascular or anatomical structures (performed in close co-operation by oncologists and radiologists). The panel identified major parameters to be considered before the use of antiangiogenic treatment, collectively agreeing on the relevance of tumour cavitation, vascular infiltration, endobronchial growth and thromboembolism for chest tumour sites, and of the presence of aneurysms, extra-thoracic bleeding, brain metastases or thrombi for extra-thoracic sites. Moreover, a structured report containing information not only on the tumour but also on the general vascular status is essential to guide the treatment choice The experts agreed that tumour localization in the absence of vessel infiltration, cavitation, and the use of antiplatelet therapy are relevant parameters to be assessed, but their presence should not necessarily exclude a patient from receiving antiangiogenic therapy.
CONCLUSION: Close co-operation between oncologists and radiologists in the diagnosis, treatment selection, and assessment of response is essential for ensuring therapeutic appropriateness in the NSCLC setting. It should be noted that neither the use of antiplatelet therapy nor tumour localisation are to be considered as contraindications to antiangiogenic treatment.

Stubbs C, Bardoli AD, Afshar M, et al.
A Study of Angiogenesis Markers in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma Undergoing Therapy with Sunitinib.
Anticancer Res. 2017; 37(1):253-259 [PubMed] Related Publications
BACKGROUND: Sunitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) targeting tumour angiogenesis in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Currently no universally agreed model exists correlating the expression of angiogenesis markers with the success of treatment.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed archival tissue for 59 RCC patients treated with sunitinib. The expression of angiogenesis markers VEGF-A, VEGFR, PDGFββ, PDGFR, CCND1 and CA9 was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and correlated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
RESULTS: The median OS and median PFS of the whole group of patients was 24.6 months (17.3-34.2) and 19.5 months (11-27) respectively. VEGFA was positive in 29% of tumors, whereas VEGFR was expressed in only 12% of tumours. PDGFββ and its receptor were detected in a minority of cases. CCND1 and CA9 were positive in 44% and 60% of cases.
CONCLUSION: The OS and PFS achieved by our patients reflected previous observations seen with sunitinib, but no correlation was found between expression of angiogenesis markers and clinical outcome.

Bai L, Wang F, Li ZZ, et al.
Chemotherapy plus bevacizumab versus chemotherapy plus cetuximab as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: Results of a registry-based cohort analysis.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2016; 95(51):e4531 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
The present observational cohort study was designed to elucidate the efficacy and safety profile of bevacizumab or cetuximab with chemotherapy as the first-line treatment in Chinese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Clinical data were collected from a single-center registry study where mCRC patients received first-line fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy combined with either bevacizumab (188 patients with KRAS wild-type or mutated tumors) or cetuximab (101 patients with KRAS wild-type tumors) between January 2009 and December 2013. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Cox proportional hazards model was used for estimating the prognostic and predictive values of clinicopathological characteristics. No statistically significant difference was observed between the bevacizumab and cetuximab groups in terms of median progression-free survival (PFS) (10.6 vs 8.7 months, P = 0.317), median overall survival (OS) (27.7 vs 28.3 months, P = 0.525), or overall response rate (43.1% vs 53.5%, P = 0.108). For the subset of patients with peritoneal dissemination, bevacizumab-based triplet appears to be superior to cetuximab-based triplet as measured by PFS (9.6 vs 6.1 months) and OS (26.3 vs 12.7 months), but not for patients without peritoneal dissemination (PFS, 10.6 vs 9.1 months; OS, 27.9 vs 30.7 months) (all unadjusted and adjusted interaction P < 0.05). Our study suggests that bevacizumab- or cetuximab-based regimens have similar effectiveness as first-line treatment of mCRC in Chinese population. Patients with peritoneal dissemination were likely to gain more benefit from bevacizumab than cetuximab treatment. Future prospective studies are required to further confirm these results.

Netto JP, Schwartz D, Varallyay C, et al.
Misleading early blood volume changes obtained using ferumoxytol-based magnetic resonance imaging perfusion in high grade glial neoplasms treated with bevacizumab.
Fluids Barriers CNS. 2016; 13(1):23 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
BACKGROUND: Neovascularization, a distinguishing trait of high-grade glioma, is a target for anti-angiogenic treatment with bevacizumab (BEV). This study sought to use ferumoxytol-based dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to clarify perfusion and relative blood volume (rCBV) changes in glioma treated with BEV and to determine potential impact on clinical management.
METHODS: 16 high grade glioma patients who received BEV following post-chemoradiation radiographic or clinical progression were included. Ferumoxytol-based MRI perfusion measurements were taken before and after BEV. Lesions were defined at each timepoint by gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA)-enhancing area. Lesion volume and rCBV were compared pre and post-BEV in the lesion and rCBV "hot spot" (mean of the highest rCBV in a 1.08 cm(2) area in the enhancing volume), as well as hypoperfused and hyperperfused subvolumes within the GBCA-enhancing lesion.
RESULTS: GBCA-enhancing lesion volumes decreased 39% (P = 0.01) after BEV. Mean rCBV in post-BEV GBCA-enhancing area did not decrease significantly (P = 0.227) but significantly decreased in the hot spot (P = 0.046). Mean and hot spot rCBV decreased (P = 0.039 and 0.007) when post-BEV rCBV was calculated over the pre-BEV GBCA-enhancing area. Hypoperfused pixel count increased from 24% to 38 (P = 0.007) and hyperperfused decreased from 39 to 28% (P = 0.017). Mean rCBV decreased in 7/16 (44%) patients from >1.75 to <1.75, the cutoff for pseudoprogression diagnosis.
CONCLUSIONS: Decreased perfusion after BEV significantly alters rCBV measurements when using ferumoxytol. BEV treatment response hinders efforts to differentiate true progression from pseudoprogression using blood volume measurements in malignant glioma, potentially impacting patient diagnosis and management.

Qi N, Li F, Li X, et al.
Combination use of paclitaxel and avastin enhances treatment effect for the NSCLC patients with malignant pleural effusion.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2016; 95(47):e5392 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
The current study is conducted to investigate efficacy of the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel in combination with Avastin (Roche Diagnostics GmbH., Mannheim, Germany) (antiangiogenic agent) in treatment of malignant pleural effusions (MPEs).Twenty-four patients with non-small cell lung cancer were randomly assigned for 2 treatment approaches. Ten patients received paclitaxel (175 mg/m) alone, and 14 patients took a combination therapy of paclitaxel and Avastin (5 mg/kg). Efficacy of the treatment approaches in the patients was validated with the change in the MPE volume. Pharmacokinetic (PK) profile and urinary excretion rate of paclitaxel were analyzed with serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level, and adverse events were examined as well.The combination therapy reduced the MPE level with a successful rate of 29% and a survival rate of 25% over the single paclitaxel treatment in the study cohort (both P < 0.05). PKs for the combined treatment displayed a rapid distribution of the anticancer drug paclitaxel with an obvious increase in its elimination half-life in the pleural fluid (both P < 0.01). Mean residence time of paclitaxel increased in the presence of Avastin (P < 0.01). Serum VEGF levels significantly reduced in the Avastin-treated patients as compared to the paclitaxel-treated ones (P < 0.01). The urinary excretion rate was similar in the study cohort. Incidence of adverse events for the 2 treatment approaches was similar in the patients.Intervention of Avastin enhances potency of paclitaxel in treatment of MPEs with the increased survival rate of the patients through inhibiting VEGF production and prolonging time of ongoing interaction between the chemotherapy drug and the tumor tissues.

Kollár A, Jones RL, Stacchiotti S, et al.
Pazopanib in advanced vascular sarcomas: an EORTC Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group (STBSG) retrospective analysis.
Acta Oncol. 2017; 56(1):88-92 [PubMed] Related Publications
BACKGROUND: Pazopanib is a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of patients with selective subtypes of advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) who have previously received standard chemotherapy including anthracyclines. Data on the efficacy in vascular sarcomas are limited. The main objective of this study was to investigate the activity of pazopanib in vascular sarcomas.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of patients with advanced vascular sarcomas, including angiosarcoma (AS), epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HE) and intimal sarcoma (IS) treated with pazopanib in real life practice at EORTC centers as well as patients treated within the EORTC phase II and III clinical trials (62043/62072) was performed. Patient and tumor characteristics were collected. Response was assessed according to RECIST 1.1. and survival analysis was performed.
RESULTS: Fifty-two patients were identified, 40 (76.9%), 10 (19.2%) and two (3.8%) with AS, HE and IS, respectively. The response rate was eight (20%), two (20%) and two (100%) in the AS, HE and IS subtypes, respectively. There was no significant difference in response rate between cutaneous and non-cutaneous AS and similarly between radiation-associated and non-radiation-associated AS. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and median overall survival (OS; from commencing pazopanib) were three months (95% CI 2.1-4.4) and 9.9 months (95% CI 6.5-11.3) in AS, respectively.
CONCLUSION: The activity of pazopanib in AS is comparable to its reported activity in other STS subtypes. In this study, the activity of pazopanib was similar in cutaneous/non-cutaneous and in radiation/non-radiation-associated AS. In addition, pazopanib showed promising activity in HE and IS, worthy of further evaluation.

Capozzi M, VON Arx C, DE Divitiis C, et al.
Antiangiogenic Therapy in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors.
Anticancer Res. 2016; 36(10):5025-5030 [PubMed] Related Publications
In recent years, many progresses have been pursued in the management of advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET); most of them were prompted by increasing knowledge of biology of these neoplasms, including the identification of promising biological targets for therapy. PNETs belong to a group of rare neoplastic diseases. They originate from neuroendocrine system cells and are very heterogeneous regarding anatomic localization and aggressiveness. Recently, many efforts have been particularly focused on the identification of pathologic pathways and innovative drugs in order to treat patients with unresectable, metastatic disease, in progressive well-differentiated pNETs. Chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment of poorly-differentiated pNETs. The positive results obtained by sunitinib, a multi-targeted tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) 1-3, platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), c-kit, RET, colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) and Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), with direct antitumor and antiangiogenic effects, have highlighted the importance of tumor angiogenesis inhibition in controlling these tumors. Angiogenesis is a crucial process during tumor progression and plays a key role in development of metastasis. The role of angiogenesis in the malignant spread of pNET cells is finally supported by in vivo studies conducted on the RIP1-Tag2 mouse model. In this mini-review, we focus on the two pharmaceuticals that have given the most interesting results in clinical trials: bevacizumab and sunitinib. These drugs are changing the management of advanced pNETs.

Musella A, Vertechy L, Romito A, et al.
Bevacizumab in Ovarian Cancer: State of the Art and Unanswered Questions.
Chemotherapy. 2017; 62(2):111-120 [PubMed] Related Publications
Ovarian cancer is a most lethal gynecologic tumor. The mainstay treatment is cytoreductive surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy. However, a high percentage of patients recur, thus needing multiple treatments with a frequently poor prognosis. In the last two decades, research has focused on the potential of target therapies to improve the survival of patients affected by ovarian cancer. Bevacizumab is one of the most studied target therapies, and it is approved for first- and second-line treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal tumors. Despite its widespread use with favorable results, controversy regarding patient selection and the best schedule, dosage, and timing of bevacizumab still exists. This review summarizes the state of the art on the use of bevacizumab for ovarian cancer in front-line, recurrence, and neoadjuvant settings. This study focuses on the results of pivotal trials, emerging data, ongoing research, and still unanswered questions about the most adequate dosage of bevacizumab and its potential activity after disease progression or rechallenge in previously treated patients.

Casanova M, Basso E, Magni C, et al.
Response to pazopanib in two pediatric patients with pretreated relapsing synovial sarcoma.
Tumori. 2017; 103(1):e1-e3 [PubMed] Related Publications
Pazopanib is an oral multikinase inhibitor that has proved effective in adults treated for relapsing soft tissue sarcoma and synovial sarcoma in particular. Two cases are reported here of pediatric patients with pretreated relapsing synovial sarcoma whose tumors showed a prolonged response to pazopanib given on compassionate grounds. These results suggest that new agents found effective in adult patients might achieve similar results in adolescents with the same disease. Facilitating the availability of new drugs for children and adolescents is a major challenge for pediatric oncologists.

Fan F, Tian C, Tao L, et al.
Candesartan attenuates angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma via downregulating AT1R/VEGF pathway.
Biomed Pharmacother. 2016; 83:704-711 [PubMed] Related Publications
Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) was reported to express in many types of tumors, promoting tumor growth and angiogenesis. We herein examined AT1R expression in liver cancer and the potential antitumor effects of AT1R antagonist Candesartan in liver cancer. We found that AT1R expression was positively correlated with VEGF-A expression and microvascular density (MVD) in 40 HCC patients. Angiotensin II and Candesartan neither had effects on the proliferation of liver cancer cells in vitro. However, Angiotensin II upregulated AT1R protein expression and promoted production of VEGF-A in liver cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Candesartan was able to reverse this process in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, Candesartan downregulated the expression of VEGF-A in SMMC-7721 bearing xenografts in mice and inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo. Our data suggested that AT1R antagonist Candesartan might be useful to suppress liver cancer by inhibiting angiogenesis.

Morales-Barrera R, Suárez C, de Castro AM, et al.
Targeting fibroblast growth factor receptors and immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of advanced bladder cancer: New direction and New Hope.
Cancer Treat Rev. 2016; 50:208-216 [PubMed] Related Publications
Bladder cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Europe and the United States. About 25% of patients with bladder cancer have advanced disease (muscle-invasive or metastatic disease) at presentation and are candidates for systemic chemotherapy. In the setting of metastatic disease, use of cisplatin-based regimens improves survival. However, despite initial high response rates, the responses are typically not durable leading to recurrence and death in the vast majority of these patients with median overall survival of 15months and a 5-year survival rate of ⩽10%. Furthermore, unfit patients for cisplatin have no standard of care for first line therapy in advance disease Most second-line chemotherapeutic agents tested have been disappointing. Newer targeted drugs and immunotherapies are being studied in the metastatic setting, their usefulness in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings is also an intriguing area of ongoing research. Thus, new treatment strategies are clearly needed. The comprehensive evaluation of multiple molecular pathways characterized by The Cancer Genome Atlas project has shed light on potential therapeutic targets for bladder urothelial carcinomas. We have focused especially on emerging therapies in locally advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma with an emphasis on immune checkpoints inhibitors and FGFR targeted therapies, which have shown great promise in early clinical studies.

Goto K, Endo M, Kusumoto M, et al.
Bevacizumab for non-small-cell lung cancer: A nested case control study of risk factors for hemoptysis.
Cancer Sci. 2016; 107(12):1837-1842 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Potentially life-threatening, serious hemoptysis is an adverse event associated with bevacizumab in non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) trials. Suggested risk factors include central tumor location and cavitation; however, the profile of hemoptysis occurrence in clinical practice is still unclear. A nested case-control study was conducted to assess the onset profile and risk factors for hemoptysis in bevacizumab-treated patients in a real-world setting in Japan. After bevacizumab was approved for NSCLC, physicians registered all NSCLC patients scheduled for bevacizumab therapy, from November 2009 to August 2011. Patients developing grade 2 hemoptysis requiring an injectable hemostatic agent or grade ≥3 hemoptysis were selected as case subjects, matched with four control subjects each. Case report forms were collected after an observation period of 24 weeks. Radiologists assessed blinded thoracic images. Risk factors for hemoptysis were assessed by univariate and stepwise multivariate analysis. Of 6774 patients registered, 23 (0.3%) experienced grade ≥2 drug-related hemoptysis. A total of 104 patients (21 cases, 83 controls) were analyzed by central reviewers for risk factors of hemoptysis occurrence. In the univariate analysis seven factors were associated with hemoptysis. In the step-wise multivariate analysis, prior thoracic radiotherapy (P = 0.1844), presence of tumor exposure in the central airway (P = 0.0256) and concomitant radiotherapy (P = 0.1169) were identified as risk factors for hemoptysis. While the incidence of hemoptysis was low in the real-world setting in Japan, the three risk factors identified, prior thoracic radiotherapy, presence of tumor exposure in the central airway and concomitant radiotherapy, should be considered when selecting patients for bevacizumab treatment. Although technically classed as a clinical trial, a nested case-control study was a non-interventional surveillance study analyzing all NSCLC patients receiving bevacizumab in Japan, therefore it was not registered as a phase II/III clinical trial would be.

Choi SH, Lee JY, Suh JS, et al.
Dual-function synthetic peptide derived from BMP4 for highly efficient tumor targeting and antiangiogenesis.
Int J Nanomedicine. 2016; 11:4643-4656 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Angiogenesis plays a critical role in the growth and metastasis of cancer, and growth factors released from cancer promote blood-vessel formation in the tumor microenvironment. The angiogenesis is accelerated via interactions of growth factors with the high-affinity receptors on cancer cells. In particular, heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) on the surface of cancer cells have been shown to be important in many aspects of determining a tumor's phenotype and development. Specifically, the regulation of the interactions between HSPGs and growth factors results in changes in tumor progression. A peptide with heparin-binding (HBP) activity has been developed and synthesized to inhibit tumor growth via the prevention of angiogenesis. We hypothesized that HBP could inhibit the interaction of growth factors and HSPGs on the surface of cancer cells, decrease paracrine signaling in endothelial cells (ECs), and finally decrease angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment. In this study, we found that HBP had antiangiogenic effects in vitro and in vivo. The conditioned media obtained from a breast cancer cell line treated with HBP were used to culture human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) to evaluate the antiangiogenic effect of HBP on ECs. HBP effectively inhibited the migration, invasion, and tube formation of HUVECs in vitro. In addition, the expressions of angiogenesis-mediating factors, including ERK, FAK, and Akt, were considerably decreased. HBP also decreased the levels of invasive factors, including MMP2 and MMP9, secreted by the HUVECs. We demonstrated significant suppression of tumor growth in a breast cancer xenograft model and enhanced distribution of HBP at the site of tumors. Taken together, our results show that HBP has antiangiogenic effects on ECs, and suggest that it may serve as a potential antitumor agent through control of the tumor microenvironment.

Skouras VS, Maragkos C, Grapsa D, Syrigos KN
Targeting Neovasculature with Multitargeted Antiangiogenesis Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.
BioDrugs. 2016; 30(5):421-439 [PubMed] Related Publications
Chemotherapy has reached a plateau in the efforts for survival improvement in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The growing knowledge of NSCLC molecular pathobiology has led to the development of new treatments that target specific tumor functions. Angiogenesis is a tumor function leading to the formation of new tumor vessels that are crucial for its survival. Although vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a primary role in angiogenesis, the inhibition of the VEGF pathway with VEGF-receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is associated with a modest survival benefit due to the development of resistance by the tumor that has been mainly attributed to the up-regulation of other stimulators of angiogenesis. Thus, the use of multitargeted antiangiogenesis TKIs (MATKIs) for simultaneous inhibition of multiple angiogenic pathways has been proposed. This review summarizes data about novel treatment strategies incorporating the inhibition of angiogenesis with MATKIs in NSCLC. The data from all relevant studies shows that MATKIs do not offer additional survival benefit to currently available chemotherapeutic options in unselected NSCLC patients. However, the diversity in disease response to MATKI-containing regimens implies that specific patient subgroups may benefit from or be harmed by these agents. In this context, most studies agree that the VEGFR-targeting MATKIs are harmful in squamous NSCLC while specific MATKIs (i.e., motesanib, vandetanib and nintedanib) are associated with improved progression free survival in non-squamous NSCLC. However, overall survival benefit was found only in adenocarcinoma and Asian non-squamous NSCLC patients with the use of nintedanib and motesanib, respectively.

Liu Y, Sun L, Su X, Guo S
Inhibition of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E phosphorylation by cercosporamide selectively suppresses angiogenesis, growth and survival of human hepatocellular carcinoma.
Biomed Pharmacother. 2016; 84:237-243 [PubMed] Related Publications
Mnk kinase is required for the phosphorylation and activation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), which regulates translation of proteins involve in important aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we investigated whether an antifungal agent, cercosporamide, which had been recently identified as a potent Mnk inhibitor, is active against HCC and angiogenesis. We showed that cercosporamide significantly inhibited growth and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis on numerous HCC cell lines, while sparing normal liver cells. In addition, cercosporamide impaired HCC angiogenesis via inhibiting HCC-endothelial cells (HCC-EC) capillary network formation, migration, proliferation and survival. Importantly, cercosporamide sensitized HCC cells to cisplatin in in vitro cell culture and in vivo HCC xenograft mouse model. Cercosporamide blocked the phosphorylation of eIF4E but not Erk or p38 in a dose- and time-dependent manner in HCC and HCC-EC cells, suggesting that suppression of eIF4E phosphorylation was the result of inhibition of Mnk but not Mnk upstream pathways. Overexpression of constitutively active eIF4E (S209D) but not the nonphosphorylatable eIF4E (S209A) abolished the inhibitory effects of cercosporamide in HepG2 cells. Altogether, our work demonstrates that cercosporamide acts as a Mnk inhibitor through blockage of eIF4E phosphorylation and selectively exhibits anti-HCC activities. Our work suggests that targeting MNK-eIF4E pathway represents a therapeutic strategy to overcome chemo-resistance for HCC treatment.

Sini V, Cassano A, Corsi D, et al.
Bevacizumab as first-line treatment in HER2-negative advanced breast cancer: pros and cons.
Tumori. 2016; 102(5):472-480 [PubMed] Related Publications
PURPOSE: Bevacizumab, a humanized, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor-A monoclonal antibody, has shown efficacy in a number of cancers. However, its use in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains controversial.
METHODS: A literature review using the PubMed database was performed to update the currently available clinical trials evidence on bevacizumab in the first-line treatment of breast cancer. In addition, the proceedings of selected oncology annual meetings were searched for relevant presentations.
RESULTS: This article reviews the available evidence for bevacizumab as first-line therapy for MBC and discusses its current and future applicability in the management of MBC. Three phase III trials (ECOG-2100, AVADO, RIBBON-1) demonstrated that the addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy is well-tolerated and improves progression-free survival and objective response rates in the first-line setting. These findings were supported by a large clinical practice-based study (ATHENA) and a recent clinical trial in which bevacizumab added to paclitaxel showed notable activity in triple-negative MBC. However, bevacizumab has thus far not demonstrated a significant benefit in overall survival.
CONCLUSIONS: The addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy is well-tolerated and produces substantial improvements in overall response rate and progression-free survival, compared with chemotherapy alone, in advanced HER2-negative breast cancer. Nevertheless, it has thus far not demonstrated a significant benefit in overall survival. Whether prolongation of progression-free survival is enough to consider bevacizumab efficacious is unclear. Based on the available clinical trials results, bevacizumab is a part of the complex therapeutic strategy of advanced HER2-negative breast cancer.

Kumar M, Dhatwalia SK, Dhawan DK
Role of angiogenic factors of herbal origin in regulation of molecular pathways that control tumor angiogenesis.
Tumour Biol. 2016; 37(11):14341-14354 [PubMed] Related Publications
The formation of blood capillaries to sustain development and growth of new tissues is referred to as angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is pivotal in both carcinogenesis and metastasis since capillaries are the sole source of supplying nutrients and oxygen to the proliferating tumor cells; therefore, this dependency of tumor growth on angiogenesis challenges researchers to halt tumor growth by targeting angiogenesis with the help of either synthetic or natural inhibitors. Many synthetic inhibitors of angiogenesis have not only come into force but also resulted in some severe adverse effects. Natural compounds may effectively fit into this condition and possibly decrease the time of treatment. In the recent past, literature is replete with evidences advocating the usefulness of natural compounds that target multiple biochemical pathways. The additional advantage of natural compounds is that their active principles interact with one another and work synergistically to give more meaningful and reliable effects than individual principle. Hence, if we are somehow able to combine more than two natural compounds, then it may be possible to enhance their potential by many folds, which shall prove to be very effective in combating tumor angiogenesis. This review shall discuss the concept of angiogenesis, molecular pathways, and angiogenic inhibitors and their specific targets and potential of natural compounds to greatly enhance the current knowledge of angiogenesis-inhibiting factors.

Pompas-Veganzones N, Sandonis V, Perez-Lanzac A, et al.
Myopodin methylation is a prognostic biomarker and predicts antiangiogenic response in advanced kidney cancer.
Tumour Biol. 2016; 37(10):14301-14310 [PubMed] Related Publications
Myopodin is a cytoskeleton protein that shuttles to the nucleus depending on the cellular differentiation and stress. It has shown tumor suppressor functions. Myopodin methylation status was useful for staging bladder and colon tumors and predicting clinical outcome. To our knowledge, myopodin has not been tested in kidney cancer to date. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether myopodin methylation status could be clinically useful in renal cancer (1) as a prognostic biomarker and 2) as a predictive factor of response to antiangiogenic therapy in patients with metastatic disease. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reactions (MS-PCR) were used to evaluate myopodin methylation in 88 kidney tumors. These belonged to patients with localized disease and no evidence of disease during follow-up (n = 25) (group 1), and 63 patients under antiangiogenic therapy (sunitinib, sorafenib, pazopanib, and temsirolimus), from which group 2 had non-metastatic disease at diagnosis (n = 32), and group 3 showed metastatic disease at diagnosis (n = 31). Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were utilized to assess outcome and response to antiangiogenic agents taking progression, disease-specific survival, and overall survival as clinical endpoints. Myopodin was methylated in 50 out of the 88 kidney tumors (56.8 %). Among the 88 cases analyzed, 10 of them recurred (11.4 %), 51 progressed (57.9 %), and 40 died of disease (45.4 %). Myopodin methylation status correlated to MSKCC Risk score (p = 0.050) and the presence of distant metastasis (p = 0.039). Taking all patients, an unmethylated myopodin identified patients with shorter progression-free survival, disease-specific survival, and overall survival. Using also in univariate and multivariate models, an unmethylated myopodin predicted response to antiangiogenic therapy (groups 2 and 3) using progression-free survival, disease-specific, and overall survival as clinical endpoints. Myopodin was revealed hypermethylated in kidney cancer. Myopodin methylation status identified which patients showed a more aggressive clinical behavior and predicted antiangiogenic response. These observations support the clinical utility of an unmethylated myopodin as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in kidney cancer.

Boss JD, Lieu P, Tewari A
Effect of treatment of rectal cancer metastasis with intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) in patient with subretinal fluid and macular oedema: short-term follow-up.
BMJ Case Rep. 2016; 2016 [PubMed] Related Publications
We describe the management of subretinal fluid and macular oedema due to colorectal cancer metastasis to the choroid using intravitreal bevacizumab. A patient with grade VI KRAS mutation rectal cancer with metastasis to the lung and cerebellum presented with left eye choroidal metastasis 1 week after being started on the experimental medication KTN3379. After intravitreal bevacizumab administration, the patient had improvement in macular subretinal fluid, but eventually progressed to severe cystoid macular oedema despite monthly intravitreal bevacizumab treatment.

Lu ZH, Peng JH, Wang FL, et al.
Bevacizumab with preoperative chemotherapy versus preoperative chemotherapy alone for colorectal cancer liver metastases: a retrospective cohort study.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2016; 95(35):e4767 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab plus preoperative chemotherapy as first-line treatment for liver-only metastatic colorectal cancer in Chinese patients compared with those of preoperative chemotherapy alone.Patients with histologically confirmed liver-only metastatic colorectal cancer were sequentially reviewed, and received either preoperative chemotherapy plus bevacizumab (bevacizumab group, n = 32) or preoperative chemotherapy alone (chemotherapy group, n = 57). Progression-free survival, response rate, liver resection rate, conversion rate, and safety were analyzed.With median follow-up of 28.7 months, progression-free survival was 10.9 months (95% confidence interval: 8.7-13.1 months) in bevacizumab group and 9.9 months (95% confidence interval: 6.8-13.1 months) in chemotherapy group (P = 0.472). Response rates were 59.4% in bevacizumab group and 38.6% in chemotherapy group (P = 0.059). Overall liver resection (R0, R1, and R2) rate was 68.8% in bevacizumab group and 54.4% in chemotherapy group (P = 0.185). Conversion rate was 51.9% in bevacizumab group and 40.4% in chemotherapy group (P = 0.341). No postoperative complication was observed in all patients.Bevacizumab plus preoperative chemotherapy as first-line treatment for liver-only metastatic colorectal cancer tends to achieve better clinical benefit with controllable safety in Chinese patients.

Liu Y, Wu X, Gao Y, et al.
Aptamer-functionalized peptide H3CR5C as a novel nanovehicle for codelivery of fasudil and miRNA-195 targeting hepatocellular carcinoma.
Int J Nanomedicine. 2016; 11:3891-905 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
Liver cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed malignancy, of which hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the dominating histological subtype. Antiangiogenic therapy aimed at vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has shown promising but deficient clinical prospects on account of vasculogenic mimicry, a highly patterned vascular channel distinguished from the endothelium-dependent blood vessel, which may function as blood supply networks occurring in aggressive tumors including HCC. In this study, we used a new cationic peptide, disulfide cross-linked stearylated polyarginine peptide modified with histidine (H3R5), as a reducible vector, cell penetrating peptide-modified aptamer (ST21) with specific binding to HCC cells to conjugate to peptide H3R5 as the targeting probe, miRNA-195 (miR195) as a powerful gene drug to inhibit VEGF, and fasudil to suppress vasculogenic mimicry by blocking ROCK2, all of which were simultaneously encapsulated in the same nanoparticles. Fasudil was loaded by ammonium sulfate-induced transmembrane electrochemical gradient and miR195 was condensed through electrostatic interaction. ST21-H3R5-polyethylene glycol (PEG) exhibited excellent loading capacities for both fasudil and miR195 with adjustable dosing ratios. Western blot analysis showed that (Fasudil)ST21-H3R5-PEGmiR195 had strong silencing activity of ROCK2 and VEGF, as compared with (Fasudil)H3R5-PEGmiR195. In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that ST21-modified nanoparticles showed significantly higher cellular uptake and therapeutic efficacy in tumor cells or tumor tissues than the unmodified counterparts. These findings suggest that aptamer-conjugated peptide holds great promise for delivering chemical drugs and gene drugs simultaneously to overcome HCC.

Hodgson TS, Nielsen SM, Lesniak MS, Lukas RV
Neurological Management of Von Hippel-Lindau Disease.
Neurologist. 2016; 21(5):73-8 [PubMed] Related Publications
Von Hippel-Lindau disease is a genetic condition due to mutation of the Von Hippel-Lindau gene, which leads to an increased risk in the development of hemangioblastomas of the brain and spinal cord. The pathophysiology of disease and its clinical manifestations, as they pertain to the general neurologist, are discussed. Therapeutic management of central nervous system hemangioblastomas ranging from neurosurgical resection, radiation therapy, and systemic therapies is reviewed.

Zhu X, Tian X, Yu C, et al.
Increased risk of hemorrhage in metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with bevacizumab: An updated meta-analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2016; 95(34):e4232 [PubMed] Related Publications
BACKGROUND: As an important antivascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody, bevacizumab has been administrated for the treatment of cancer patients. Hemorrhage, one of the common adverse events of angiogenesis inhibitors, sometimes is also fatal and life-threatening. We aimed at determining the incidence and risk of hemorrhage associated with bevacizumab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).
METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Web of Science databases for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The overall incidence, overall relative risk (RR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated by using a random-effects or fixed-effects model based on the heterogeneity of selected trials.
RESULTS: A total of 10,555 mCRC patients from 12 RCTs were included in our study. The overall incidence of hemorrhage was 5.8% (95% CI 3.9%-7.8%). Bevacizumab significantly increased the overall risk of hemorrhage with an RR of 1.96 (95% CI 1.27-3.02). The RR of all-grade hemorrhage was 2.39 (95% CI 1.09-5.24) and 1.41 (95% CI 1.01-1.97) for high-grade hemorrhage. The risk of hemorrhage associated with bevacizumab was dose-dependent with an RR of 1.73 (95% CI 1.15-2.61) for 2.5 mg/kg/wk and 4.67 (95% CI 2.36-9.23) for 5 mg/kg/wk. More importantly, the RR of hemorrhage for treatment duration (<= 6 months and > 6 months) based on subgroup analysis was 4.13 (95% CI 2.58-6.61) and 1.43 (95% CI 0.96-2.14), respectively.
CONCLUSION: The addition of bevacizumab to concurrent antineoplastic in patients with mCRC significantly increased the risk of hemorrhage. The dose of bevacizumab may contribute to the risk of hemorrhage. And the 1st 6 months of treatment may be a crucial period when hemorrhagic events occur.

Kuo ZK, Lin MW, Lu IH, et al.
Antiangiogenic and antihepatocellular carcinoma activities of the Juniperus chinensis extract.
BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016; 16:277 [PubMed] Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
BACKGROUND: To identify a novel therapeutic agent for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), for which no promising therapeutic agent exists, we screened a panel of plants and found that Juniperus chinensis exhibited potential antiangiogenic and anti-HCC activities. We further investigated the antiangiogenic and anti-HCC effects of the active ingredient of J. chinensis extract, CBT-143-S-F6F7, both in vitro and in vivo.
METHODS: A tube formation assay conducted using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was first performed to identify the active ingredient of CBT-143-S-F6F7. A series of angiogenesis studies, including HUVEC migration, Matrigel plug, and chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays, were then performed to confirm the effects of CBT-143-S-F6F7 on angiogenesis. The effects of CBT-143-S-F6F7 on tumor growth were investigated using a subcutaneous and orthotopic mouse model of HCC. In vitro studies were performed to investigate the effects of CBT-143-S-F6F7 on the cell cycle and apoptosis in HCC cells. Moreover, protein arrays for angiogenesis and apoptosis were used to discover biomarkers that may be influenced by CBT-143-S-F6F7. Finally, nuclear magnetic resonance analysis was conducted to identify the compounds of CBT-143-S-F6F7.
RESULTS: CBT-143-S-F6F7 showed significantly antiangiogenic activity in various assays, including HUVEC tube formation and migration, CAM, and Matrigel plug assays. In in vivo studies, gavage with CBT-143-S-F6F7 significantly repressed subcutaneous Huh7 tumor growth in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice, and prolonged the survival of orthotopic Huh7 tumor-bearing SCID mice (a 40 % increase in median survival duration compared with the vehicle-treated mice). Immunohistochemical staining of subcutaneous Huh7 tumors in CBT-143-S-F6F7-treated mice showed a significantly decrease in the cell cycle regulatory protein cyclin D1, cellular proliferation marker Ki-67, and endothelial marker CD31. CBT-143-S-F6F7 caused arrest of the G2/M phase and induced Huh7 cell apoptosis, possibly contributing to the inhibition of HCC tumors. Protein array analysis revealed that several angiogenic and antiapoptotic factors were suppressed in CBT-143-S-F6F7-treated Huh7 cells. Finally, five compounds from CBT-143-S-F6F7 were identified.
CONCLUSIONS: According to these results, we report for the first time the antiangiogenic and anti-HCC activities of CBT-143-S-F6F7, the active fractional extract of J. chinensis. We believe that CBT-143-S-F6F7 warrants further evaluation as a new anti-HCC drug.

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