Identification of the hidden survival advantage for anti-angiogenic therapy in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains one of the most aggressive of malignancies associated with significant morbidity and mortality for patients. Treatment has relied on surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy with emerging biologically based therapies under active investigation. A hallmark of GBM clinically and pathologically has been the intense tumor-associated angiogenesis that occurs with the disease. GBM associated angiogenesis promotes not only tumor progression but has a marked impact on a patient’s neurological function due to abnormalities of the blood-brain-barrier and dysregulation of cerebral autoregulation of blood flow, a phenomena required for neurological function.