Targeting tumour vascularization from bench to bedside: Suggestions for combination with hyperthermia

Angiogenesis is an important pathway in tumour growth and progression. Overexpression of pro-angiogenic factor or down regulation of physiologic angiogenic inhibitors are the stimuli that induce new blood vessel formation from a pre-existing vascular bed. On the other hand tumour vasculature is a major important factor influencing the therapeutic application of hyperthermia used as anticancer therapy. Both endothelial cells and microvessels can be lethally damaged by the hyperthermia. Because tumour vasculature is a target of hyperthermia combined treatments with angiogenesis inhibiting agents or vascular disrupting agents and hyperthermia may lead to synergetic effects or potentiation of the combined therapy over each modality alone. In this chapter we summarize the state of the art regarding the combination between drugs that targeting tumour vasculature and hyperthermia, furthermore the pre-clinical rationale for future clinical trials is suggested.