Angiogenesis in Hematologic Malignancies

To explore the role of angiogenesis and its mediators, particularly vascular endothelial growth factor, in hematological malignancies as well as the potential use and new applications of anti-angiogenic therapies in the management of these conditions. The results showed that bone marrow MVD increased greatly in newly diagnosed hematological malignancies before treatment. BM-MVD in patients with acute leukemia decreased down to the normal range as the controls at the time of complete remission. The positive correlation between increased levels of angiogenic cytokines and clinical response to angiogenesis inhibitors indicates the relevance of detecting angiogenesis markers to identify best candidate patients for specific approaches. Including antiangiogenic drugs into treatment protocols for hematologic malignancies is an important task for future clinical studies.