Abstract
The formation of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis, is a hallmark of cancer and one of the most important conditions for tumor growth. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most important factors in angiogenesis. Increased VEGF expression has been associated to rapid cancer progression and poor prognosis. The significance of VEGF is not limited to angiogenesis; it also contributes to the development of a tolerogenic tumor microenvironment through a variety of methods. Increased VEGF expression in the tumor microenvironment leads effector immune cells to die while suppressive immune cells become more active. As a result, VEGF has long been recognized as a potent marker of invasive cancer, and inhibiting VEGF signaling can prevent tumor progression and development. Researchers are focusing on medicines and pharmacological agents to prevent neoangiogenesis in different cancers for a long time, mostly by inhibiting VEGF/VEGF-receptor signaling. Anti-VEGF drugs are currently on the market and have been approved for the treatment of various malignancies. They can be used alone or in combination with other targeted therapies like chemotherapy. However, VEGF-signaling inhibition commonly results in the partial clearance of cancer cells, and in certain patients, cancer recurrence may occur, compromising overall survival. In this review, we discussed on VEGF-mediated invasive cancer development, the effect of VEGF on tumor immunity, and therapeutic approaches to combat neoangiogenesis-induced cancer consequences.
Keywords
Cancer, Neoangiogenesis, Immunosuppression, Treg, Tumor microenvironment, VEGF