The Discovery of Antiangiogenic Molecules: A Historical Review

In a landmark publication of 1971, Folkman proposed antiangiogenesis as a potential target in cancer biology [1]. Over the past 30 years most research on tumor angiogenesis has been aimed at inhibiting the process of tumorinduced vessel formation. The first angiogenesis inhibitor, bevacizumab, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004 for the treatment of metastatic carcinoma of the colon-rectum. Antiangiogenesis remains a dynamic and evolving field in oncology. New therapeutic targets continue to emerge followed by the rapid development of new therapeutic agents to be investigated in clinical trials.