Abstract: Despite the recent advances in its management using cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy, ovarian cancer remains the most lethal gynecological malignancy. One possible treatment strategy that may improve patient outcome is the use of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) that selectively target tumor cells expressing tumor-associated antigens, and thus offer potential benefits such as avoiding the cytotoxic side effects in normal tissue caused by traditional chemotherapeutic agents. Based on the promising results of preclinical studies, various mAb are currently being evaluated in patients with ovarian cancer. Some of them have already demonstrated favorable clinical outcomes in phase I/II studies. However, in contrast to its use for hematological malignancies and certain solid malignancies such as breast and colorectal cancer, mAb-based therapy has not been convincingly proven to be clinically effective in patients with ovarian cancer. As the preclinical results of mAb's therapeutic effects on ovarian cancer have been encouraging, further investigations are needed to establish a more effective, specific, and less toxic treatment strategy for this malignancy. ... Read more

Abstract: Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the major cause of vision loss after age 50 in the United States. Although an important association of the complement cascade with AMD has recently been made, we still do not understand the pathogenesis of the disease. AMD is characterized by loss of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) within the macula (i.e., the center of the retina), and in turn, loss of the overlying foveal photoreceptors. Since RPE and photoreceptors can both be generated from stem cells using cell culture, there is hope for future cell replacement therapy. But, aging changes in Bruch's membrane, the scaffold on which the RPE are anchored, may complicate such therapy, and require surgical repair of Bruch's membrane to provide a suitable environment for cell survival and function. We have referred to such a multipronged approach of surgical reconstruction of the macular architecture in conjunction with cell transplantation as Maculoplasty. ... Read more

Abstract: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. About 50% of the patients present locally advanced or metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. First line therapy usually consists of a combination of cisplatin or carboplatin with a third-generation agent (paclitaxel, docetaxel, gemcitabine, or vinorelbine) that results in less than 5% 5-year survival (Goldstraw et al., 2007). Recently a different approach based on histological subtype has been introduced in the first line treatment of NSCLC: in the non-squamous histotypes, cisplatin plus pemetrexed, compared to the cisplatin plus gemcitabine combination, showed a better outcome, leading to its introduction in the first line treatment setting. In recent years advances in the second and third line treatments have led to a prognostic improvement. Two cytotoxic agents, docetaxel and pemetrexed, are approved as NSCLC second line treatment, and a new class of drugs against specific molecular targets -- tyrosine Kinase inhibitors (TKI) -- has emerged as an alternative to conventional treatment. Many trials are ongoing to assess the activity of new drugs, alone or in combination with other agents, or new combinations of third-generation chemotherapeutic agents. ... Read more

Abstract: In the past 5 years the management of metastatic renal cell carcinoma has been revolutionized by the advent of anti-angiogenic treatments, particularly the multi-targeted kinase inhibitors. This revolution has put standard and experimental immunotherapy in the shade. However, it is likely that a subset of patients with advanced kidney cancer is still best served by immunotherapy. This article summarizes promising novel immunotherapeutic techniques to identify those patients who will benefit and to optimize outcomes for patients using novel immunotherapeutic approaches. ... Read more

Abstract: Growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) is essential for embryo development as well as for wound healing and progression of a number of diseases such as cancer, inflammatory conditions, eye diseases, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis in the adult. Current paradigms explain blood vessel growth entirely by sprouting angiogenesis or by vessel splitting through so called intussusceptive angiogenesis. However, these mechanisms are mainly derived from experiments on the developing embryo while less is known about angiogenesis in the adult during, e.g., wound healing, tumor growth, and inflammation. Recently we showed that blood vessel growth in the adult can be induced and directed by mechanical forces that naturally develop during healing or remodeling of tissues. In contrast to sprouting and intussusception, the new biomechanical hypothesis assumes that functional blood vessels are passively translocated which, if found generic, may drastically change the approach for developing anti- and pro-angiogenic therapies in the treatment of a variety of diseases. ... Read more

Other Names: bevacizumab, rhuMAb-VEGF.

Maker: Genentech, Inc.

Disease Treated: Metastatic colorectal cancer.

Approval Status: Approved by the U.S. FDA on February 26, 2004 as a first-line therapy in combination with intravenous 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Chemical/Biological Nature: AVASTIN is a recombinant humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody composed of the human antibody framework regions integrated with the complimentarity-determining regions (in contact with its target antigen) of mouse origin. AVASTIN is produced in a Chinese Hamster ovary mammalian cell expression cell culture system.

Administration: AVASTIN with a dose of 5mg/kg body weight is administered by i.v. infusion over a 90-minute period following chemotherapy. ... Read more

On Feb. 26, 2004, Genentech, S. San Francisco, CA announced that the U.S. FDA has approved Avastin (bevacizumab) to be used in combination with intravenous 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Avastin is an angiogenesis inhibitor that blocks the process by which new blood vessels develop, a necessary requirement for tumor growth and metastasis. It is the first of this category of drugs to be approved by the FDA. Illustrating its readiness and commercial preparation, Genentech said it would begin shipping Avastin within three calendar days following the approval.

Avastin is a humanized monoclonal antibody ... Read more