Targeting angiogenesis for the treatment of prostate cancer

ES Antonarakis, MA Carducci - Expert opinion on therapeutic …, 2012 - Taylor & Francis
ES Antonarakis, MA Carducci
Expert opinion on therapeutic targets, 2012Taylor & Francis
Introduction: While multiple therapies exist that prolong the lives of men with advanced
prostate cancer, none are curative. This had led to a search to uncover novel targets for
prostate cancer therapy, distinct from those of traditional hormonal approaches,
chemotherapies, immunotherapies and bone-targeting approaches. The process of tumor
angiogenesis is one target that is being exploited for therapeutic gain. Areas covered: The
most promising anti-angiogenic approaches for treatment of prostate cancer, focusing on …
Introduction : While multiple therapies exist that prolong the lives of men with advanced prostate cancer, none are curative. This had led to a search to uncover novel targets for prostate cancer therapy, distinct from those of traditional hormonal approaches, chemotherapies, immunotherapies and bone-targeting approaches. The process of tumor angiogenesis is one target that is being exploited for therapeutic gain.
Areas covered : The most promising anti-angiogenic approaches for treatment of prostate cancer, focusing on clinical development of selected agents. These include VEGF-directed therapies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, tumor-vascular disrupting agents, immunomodulatory drugs and miscellaneous anti-angiogenic agents. While none of these drugs have yet entered the market for the treatment of prostate cancer, several are now being tested in Phase III registrational trials.
Expert opinion : The development of anti-angiogenic agents for prostate cancer has met with several challenges. This includes discordance between traditional prostate-specific antigen responses and clinical responses, which have clouded clinical trial design and interpretation, potential inadequate exposure to anti-angiogenic therapies with premature discontinuation of study drugs and the development of resistance to anti-angiogenic monotherapies. These barriers will hopefully be overcome with the advent of more potent agents, the use of dual angiogenesis inhibition and the design of more informative clinical trials.
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