Angiogenesis in glioblastoma: just another moving target?

摘要

Inhibition of angiogenesis as a concept experienced a renaissancenin neuro-oncology in 2009. Based on encouraging phase II datansuggesting increased response rates and improved quality of life,nincluding a corticosteroid-sparing effect (Friedman et al., 2009;nKreisl et al., 2009), bevacizumab—an antibody that targets vas-ncular endothelial-derived growth factor (VEGF)—was approved fornthe treatment of recurrent glioblastoma in the US and, fornexample, in Switzerland; but not throughout the EuropeannUnion (Weller and Stupp, 2009). Further, the results of a 2:1:2nrandomized trial comparing the VEGF receptor antagonist, cedira-nnib (Batchelor et al., 2007), with the alkylating agent lomustine,nand the combination of cediranib and lomustine in patients withnrecurrent glioblastoma are to be presented at the American Societynof Clinical Oncology meeting in June 2010. Finally, not only bev-nacizumab (and probably soon cediranib, too), but also anothernanti-angiogenic agent, the integrin antagonist cilengitide, are cur-nrently being evaluated in registration trials for patients with newlyndiagnosed glioblastoma (Stupp et al., 2010).