Blood vascular supply significantly affects progression of
tumor growth. Inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation by antiangiogenic drugs should lead to growth arrest of both primary
tumors and
metastases. During the course of lengthy
therapy, endothelial cells may, however, become refractory to the action of
antiangiogenic agents. Novel approaches to anticancer treatment should explore the issue of drug resistance shown by endothelial cells. One possible therapeutic
solution might be
tumor immunotherapy directed against
antigens expressed on the surface of endothelial cells which co-form
tumor blood vasculature. Such
therapy is supposed to break immune tolerance to own
antigens and to eliminate
tumor blood vessel endothelial cells by activating cytotoxic T lymphocytes. This kind of response can be obtained against
endoglin (CD105).
Endoglin is overexpressed in proliferating endothelial cells which line
tumor blood vessels. Presence of
endoglin in solid
tumor blood vessels has prognostic value in
cancer treatment. CD105 is also expressed by certain
cancer cells (prostate,
melanoma and
Ewing sarcoma). It appears that therapeutic strategies directed against
endoglin allow several mechanisms of resistance to antiangiogenic drugs to be omitted. The therapeutic approach that we propose, i.e. a
tumor blood vessel-destroying strategy combined with
immunotherapy, may become an effective therapeutic tool.