Tumor microvasculature and microenvironment: Therapeutic targets for inhibition of tumor angiogenesis and metastasis

Abstract

The growth of a tumor depends on both the tumor origin and the surrounding environment. Recent developments of therapeutic strategies targeting angiogenesis and other key steps in the metastatic cascade have demonstrated significant improvements on both the inhibition of primary tumor size and the suppression of malignant secondary tumor spreading. In this chapter, we briefly introduce tumor microvasculature and microenvironment, discuss tumor angiogenesis and therapeutic approaches for inhibiting of tumor angiogenesis, and examine the potential therapeutic targets for suppression of tumor progression and metastasis. While this chapter focuses mainly on pharmaceutical approaches for targeting tumor angiogenesis and metastasis, it also mentions other approaches including gene therapy. In addition, the current challenges and future prospects in this field are discussed. © 2009 Springer-Verlag New York.