The Complexity of Translating Anti-angiogenesis Therapy from Basic Science to the Clinic

Abstract

Formation of new blood vessels in tumors, a process termed tumor angiogenesis, is a crucial step during oncogenic progression. Blocking tumor angiogenesis is therefore expected to have a profound impact on tumor growth. It took several decades of collective efforts to translate this intriguing idea into tangible clinical benefit. Today, anti-angiogenesis agents represent standard-of-care therapies for multiple types of cancers, and the clinical experience has taught us many lessons about the concept and application of anti-angiogenesis. This Perspective is an attempt to summarize these lessons and how they can be leveraged to improve anti-angiogenesis therapy.