Blocking Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis is the body’s process of creating new blood vessels, generally controlled by some chemicals in our bodies. At the same time our body can also generate angiogenesis inhibitors to interfere with blood vessel formation. Cancer cells rely on angiogenesis to grow, that’s where it draws its blood together with its supply of oxygen and nutrients to grow and spread.

The following are known to have natural angiogenesis inhibitors properties or as anti-angiogenesis food:

Red wine,

Turmeric.

Berries.

Tomato.

Lemon.

Dark Chocolate.

Green tea.

There many types of drugs that block blood vessel growth, namely drugs that block the vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) from attaching itself to the receptors on the cells lining the blood vessel to drugs that block signaling within the cell. Drugs like Avastin are used block VEGF and Sunitinib is used to block signals inside the cell.

There are also drugs that interfere signals between cells. These type of drugs include Revlimid.

There is so far only one anti angiogenesis treatment for PCa. The FDA has approved Provenge (Sipuleucel-T) to be used for advanced PCa. However Provenge is only approved for asymptomatic metastasis PCa.

Hopefully FDA will approve more drugs for advanced PCa in the near future as there are many on -going clinical trials at its ending phase.

Take care

Allen Lai