Question

A drug is developed that blocks angiogenesis which is the development of blood vessels. It will have the following effect(s) on cancer cells:

induction of apoptosis

tumors would be limited in size

metastasis will be blocked

all of these

Answer 1

True - induction of apoptosis
True - tumors would be limited in size
False - metastasis will be blocked

Answer 2

Source: http://www.hoajonline.com/jctr/1/1/3

Answer 3

all of these

metastasis occur through blood vessel so it will also get blocked

Answer 4

The efficiency of anti-angiogenesis drugs in treating solid body tumors (i.e., the kinds of cancers which consist of lumps of cells as opposed to diffuse cancers like leukemia) is actually an incompletely understood and contentious subject.

The cells in these tumors need oxygen and metabolites from the blood to grow and it has been shown that reducing the oxygen and nutrient supply to these tumors by decreasing blood flow decreases their overall cell proliferation rate. For that reason, anti-angiogensis drugs have long been given to cancer patients to slow the rate of tumor growth.

The problem is, the patients who are given these drugs rarely survive longer than patients with the same cancers who are not given the treatment. In fact, many of them fare worse.

Why is this?

As it turns out, starving cancer cells of oxygen and nutrients by blocking their blood flow actually activates metastasic signalling pathways within the tumor itself: it senses that it has been challenged or reached the 'carrying capacity' of its host tissue early, so it focuses its energy not on growing itself but on seeding itself elsewhere in the body.

Whoever came up with this question probably has no idea about this. But that's the science behind it.

Answer 5

Actually, this exact question was asked the day before yesterday, too.

Answer 6

I think blues is right about the hypoxia inducing higher expression of cellular oncogenes and other alterations that lend towards a more aggressive phenotype, so drugs against the proteins involved in angiogenesis might not be ideal targets.

Answer 7

I think you mean "ischemia" not "hypoxia," but thanks.