Current status and future prospects for anti-angiogenic therapies in cancer.

Background: Angiogenesis is essential for tumour growth and development and since the pioneering work of Judah Folkman several anti-angiogenic strategies have now been successfully employed.

Objective: This article aims to present a detailed review of current knowledge of the main pathways involved in angiogenesis, the strategies employed for inhibition and the current status of angiogenesis inhibitors in therapeutic use.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken including angiogenesis in cancer and angiogenesis inhibitors in pre-clinical and clinical trials.

Conclusion: While angiogenic inhibitors are now in clinical use, their limited benefits mean we must urgently develop strategies to improve the efficacy of this approach.