Anti-angiogenic therapy in renal cell cancer.

Angiogenesis is an important hallmark of RCC, reflected in the natural history, Histology, genetics and now therapeutics of this disease. Clearly, the pro-angiogenic growth factor VEGF is a functional drug target in RCC and many strategies to inhibit this biology have shown clinical benefit. Multi-targeted TKI that inhibit VEGFRs have been approved by the FDA as standard treatment for advanced RCC. Pharmacodynamyc studies suggest that these agents and others also have anti-angiogenic effects. Currently, studies combining VEGFR-targeted strategies with other anti-angiogenic agents, including anti-VEGF antibodies, IFN or mTOR inhibitors, are underway. However, to what extent the clinical benefit of anti-angiogenic strategies in RCC can be built upon is unknown.