Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation, is a critical process during growth and metastasis of solid tumors and might also represent a promising therapeutical target in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
The protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor SU5614 inhibits VEGF-induced endothelial cell sprouting and induces growth arrest and apoptosis by inhibition of c-kit in AML cells.
Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Grosshadern, Clinical Cooperative Group Leukemia, GSF National Research Center for Environment and Health, Munich, Germany. spiekermann@gsf.de
