Angiogenesis: A Pivotal Therapeutic Target in the Drug Development of Gynecologic Cancers

Lawrence Kasherman; Shiru Lucy Liu; Katherine Karakasis; Stephanie Lheureux

doi:10.3390/cancers14051122

Angiogenesis: A Pivotal Therapeutic Target in the Drug Development of Gynecologic Cancers

Cancers (Basel). 2022 Feb 22;14(5):1122. doi: 10.3390/cancers14051122.

Authors

Lawrence Kasherman^{1

2

3}, Shiru Lucy Liu⁴, Katherine Karakasis⁵, Stephanie Lheureux⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Oncology, St. George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW 2217, Australia.
² St. George and Sutherland Clinical Schools, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
³ Illawarra Cancer Care Centre, Department of Medical Oncology, Wollongong, NSW 2500, Australia.
⁴ British Columbia Cancer Agency, Surrey, BC V5Z 4E6, Canada.
⁵ University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
⁶ Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.

Abstract

Since the discovery of angiogenesis and its relevance to the tumorigenesis of gynecologic malignancies, a number of therapeutic agents have been developed over the last decade, some of which have become standard treatments in combination with other therapies. Limited clinical activity has been demonstrated with anti-angiogenic monotherapies, and ongoing trials are focused on combination strategies with cytotoxic agents, immunotherapies and other targeted treatments. This article reviews the science behind angiogenesis within the context of gynecologic cancers, the evidence supporting the targeting of these pathways and future directions in clinical trials.

Keywords: angiogenesis; targeted therapy; tumor microenvironment; vascular endothelial growth factor.

Publication types

Review