HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

Cellular and Molecular Biology

 

Review

Antiangiogenic and radiotherapy for cancer treatment

H. Kobayashi1 and P.C. Lin1,2,3

Department of 1Radiation Oncology, 2Department of Cancer Biology, 3Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA

Offprint requests to: Dr. P. Charles Lin, Ph.D. 338 PRB, 2220 Pierce Avenue. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232. e-mail: Charles.Lin@vanderbilt.edu


Summary. Tumor growth and progression depends on tumor angiogenesis, the growth of tumor blood vessels, therefore, targeting tumor angiogenesis is a very promising approach for controlling tumor growth and/or causing regression. Tumor blood vessels have been recognized as a critical component of radiation response to the point of being independent of tumor oxygenation during radiation. An anti-angiogenic approach has been considered less likely to develop drug resistance. But recent findings suggest that anti-angiogenesis causes hypoxia that selects tumor cells (due to genetic instability) that are less dependent on blood supply and leads to drug resistance. The approach of combination of anti-angiogenesis with ionizing radiation by targeting both endothelial and tumor cells should minimize this possibility. The combination may produce a synergistic anti-tumor effect. Histol Histopathol 21, 1125-1134 (2006)

Key words: Angiogenesis, ionizing radiation, endothelial cell, VEGF and angiogenic growth factor

DOI: 10.14670/HH-21.1125