Angiogenesis Resources

A new oral angiogenesis inhibitor offers potential therapy for a wide range of cancers.

The first oral, broad spectrum angiogenesis inhibitor, formulated using nanotechnology, shows promise as preventive therapy for patients at high risk for cancer, or as a chronic therapy for a variety of cancer types.  The drug, called Lodamin, helps to prevent tunours from forming or recurring by blocking the growth of blood vessels to feed them.  Lodamin may also be useful in other diseases that involve aberrant blood vessel growth, such as age-related macular degeneration and arthritis.  Lodamin is a novel slow-release version of TNP-470 – one of the broadest spectrum angiogenesis inhibitors known.  TNP-470 failed in clinical trials due to occasional neurological side effects.  The use of nanotechnology allows Lodamin to retain TNP-470’s antiangiogenic potency, but with no detectable neurotoxicity and greatly enhanced oral availability.  While a number of angiogenesis inhibitors, including Avastin, are now commercially available, most only target single angiogenic factors, such as VEGF, and are approved for only a small number of specific cancers.  In contrast, Lodamin prevented capillary growth in response to every angiogenic stimulus tested.  Moreover, in mouse models, Lodamin reduced liver metastases, a fatal complication of many cancers for which there is no good treatment.

Kristin Johnson, Vascular Biology Program, Childrens’ Hospital, Boston, USA.  A Lodamin nanoparticle with TNP-470 (the drug’s active ingredient) at the core, protected by two short polymers (PEG and PLA) that allow TNP-470 to be absorbed intact when taken orally.  Once the nanoparticles (known as polymeric micelles) reach the tumour, they react with water and break down, slowly releasing the drug. 

This news item was sourced from e! Science News (www.esciencenews.com).  The full press release can be viewed at: http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/07/01/ 

Original research paper citation: Benny, O et al (2008).  An orally delivered small-molecule formulation with anti-angiogenic and anti-cancer activity.  Nature Biotechnology 26: 799-807.  The abstract can be viewed, and the full paper downloaded, at:

http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v26/n7/abs/nbt1415.html

New findings look promising for an increased role for anti-angiogenic drugs in ophthalmology.

Patients with diabetes who take rosiglitazone may be less likely to develop the eye disease proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), or to experience reductions in visual acuity (sharpness), according a recent study at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, USA.  PDR is a common cause of loss of vision, and occurs when existing blood vessels in the retina are blocked or damaged and new, tiny blood vessels form.  Rosiglitazone may delay the progression of retinopathy and preserve vision by reducing the formation of the new vessels (angiogenesis).  Original research paper citation: Shen, LQ et al (2008).  Rosiglitazone and delayed onset of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.  Arch. Ophthalmol. 126(6): 793-799.  http://archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/126/6/793 ………

... In another recent study, bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody against the VEGF receptor, showed potential benefits in the treatment of retinoblastoma.  Bevacizumab had an inhibitory effect on angiogenesis and the growth of retinoblastoma, both in vivo and in vitro.  The antiangiogenic effects of bevacizumab were evaluated in a co-culture of a Y-79 human retinoblastoma cell line and a human unmbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) line using a cell proliferation assay kit and a VEGF enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).  Original research paper citation: Lee, SY et al (2008).  Inhibitory effect of bevacizumab on the angiogenesis and growth of retinoblastoma.  Arch. Ophthalmol. 126(7): 953-958.  http://archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/126/7/953

SBS upcoming meetings with relevance to angiogenesis research and drug discovery

The Society for Biomolecular Sciences (SBS) is hosting a series of upcoming meetings of relevance to researchers in the field of angiogenesis, particularly for drug discovery applications:

Academic Screening and Drug Discovery: Tools, Technologies and Strategies.  22 October 2008.  King of Prussia, PA, USA.  http://www.sbsonline.com/events/symposia/accscreen/index.php

Cell-Based Assays: Innovations in Reagents, Technologies and Screening.  23-24 October 2008.  King of Prussia, PA, USA.  http://www.sbsonline.com/events/symposia/2008_kop/index.php

Society for Biomolecular Sciences (SBS): 15^th Annual Conference and Exhibition.  26-30 April 2009.  Lille, France.  http://www.sbsonline.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3347

For a more extensive list of upcoming conferences relevant to angiogenesis research, please see our Conference Diary.