Bevacizumab: antiangiogenic cancer therapy

Abstract

Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation, is an essential step in tumor growth and metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key mediator in this process, and elevated levels of this cytokine are observed in solid tumors and are correlated with worse clinical outcomes. Research has therefore focused on developing agents that target angiogenic factors such as VEGF in order to inhibit tumor growth. One such agent is bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody generated by engineering the VEGF-binding residues of a murine neutralizing antibody into the framework of a normal human immunoglobulin G. Bevacizumab recognizes VEGF receptors 1 and 2 and thus can neutralize the biologically active forms of VEGF that interact with these receptors. In addition, bevacizumab has shown antiangiogenic and antitumor activity in several cancer types, recently gaining approval from the FDA for use in combination with fluorouracil-based chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for metastatic cancer of the colon or rectum.