Targeting tissue factor or its truncated extracellular part to tumor vasculature is an emerging therapeutic strategy to induce tumor vessel occlusion and infarction in cancer patients.
Targeting Tissue Factor to tumor vasculature represents an emerging class of coaguligands being translated into clinical studies for cancer therapy.
Besides its central functional role in coagulation, TF has been described as being operational in the development of malignancies and is currently being studied as a possible therapeutic tool against cancer. One of the avenues being explored is retargeting TF or its truncated extracellular part (tTF) to the tumor vasculature to induce tumor vessel occlusion and tumor infarction. To this end, multiple structures on tumor vascular wall cells have been studied at which tTF has been aimed via antibodies, derivatives, or as bifunctional fusion protein through targeting peptides. Among these targets were vascular adhesion molecules, oncofetal variants of fibronectin, prostate-specific membrane antigens, vascular endothelial growth factor receptors and co-receptors, integrins, fibroblast activation proteins, NG2 proteoglycan, microthrombus-associated fibrin-fibronectin, and aminopeptidase N. Targeting was also attempted toward cellular membranes within an acidic milieu or toward necrotic tumor areas. tTF-NGR, targeting tTF primarily at aminopeptidase N on angiogenic endothelial cells, was the first drug candidate from this emerging class of coaguligands translated to clinical studies in cancer patients. Upon completion of a phase I study, tTF-NGR entered randomized studies in oncology to test the therapeutic impact of this novel therapeutic modality.
Berdel et al. (Mon,) conducted a review in Cancer. Tissue Factor (TF) targeting / tTF-NGR was evaluated. Targeting tissue factor or its truncated extracellular part to tumor vasculature is an emerging therapeutic strategy to induce tumor vessel occlusion and infarction in cancer patients.