Angiogenesis in brain tumours

摘要: Despite aggressive surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, malignant gliomas remain uniformly fatal. To progress, these tumours stimulate the formation of new blood vessels through processes driven primarily by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). However, resulting are structurally functionally abnormal, contribute to a hostile microenvironment (low oxygen tension high interstitial fluid pressure) that selects for more phenotype with increased morbidity mortality. Emerging preclinical clinical data indicate anti-VEGF therapies potentially effective in glioblastoma — most frequent primary brain tumour can transiently normalize vessels. This creates window opportunity optimally combining chemotherapeutics radiation.