Putative effects of potentially anti-angiogenic drugs in rheumatic diseases

A role for angiogenesis has been described in several rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitides, and osteoarthritis, leading to the possibility that angiogenesis inhibition may be an additional useful therapeutic arm. While the role of anti-angiogenic therapy in rheumatoid arthritis has received attention, it is conceivable that the inhibition of pathological angiogenesis may also be a useful therapeutical approach in other rheumatic diseases. Numerous compounds, such as, for example, various interleukins, antibodies directed against angiogenic factors, peptides, estrogen metabolites, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, have been found to have anti-angiogenic properties. However, additional research is needed to obtain a clear understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of angiogenesis and the potential applications of anti-angiogenic therapy in rheumatic diseases.