Up-regulation of pro-angiogenic factors and establishment of tolerance in malignant pleural effusions.

Introduction: Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) are a significant source of cancer morbidity and mortality. Currently there is no cure for MPEs and treatments only palliate the symptoms. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are differences in markers of angiogenesis and immune phenotypes between adenocarcinoma-induced MPEs and benign pleural effusions (BPEs).

The immunomodulatory effects of bevacizumab on systemic immunity in patients with metastatic melanoma.

Metastatic melanoma is near-to-invariably a fatal disease. As novel therapeutic strategies against metastatic melanoma are urgently needed, we have tested a combinatorial regimen consisting of conventional chemotherapy coupled to bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibit angiogenesis, demonstrating some clinical benefit. A preliminary assessment of one of our clinical trials points to a previously unrecognized immunomodulatory effect of bevacizumab.