Tumor Angiogenesis

Preface Tumor development and progression occur as a result of cumulative acquisition of genetic alterations affecting oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. As a consequence of these alterations the arising tumor gains some fatal properties such as increased cell proliferation and decreased apoptosis, resulting in a net accumulation of tra- formed cells. Once a critical volume is achieved, lack of oxygen and nutrients limits further growth. To overcome this obstacle, the tumor cells initiate a program focused on the formation of new blood vessels within the host tissue. This process is termed tumor angiogenesis and contributes to the progression of most solid tumors and the formation of metastases. Since its discovery more than 30 years ago by Dr. Judah Folkman, tumor angiog- esis has been proposed as an ideal target for novel tumor therapies. Today the first anti-angiogenic compounds are available for the treatment of patients but their s- cess in the clinic is rather limited when given as monotherapies. This is in contrast to many preclinical results which revealed a much higher efficacy of these therapeutics in appropriate animal models. The reasons for this discrepancy are manifold, one being the existence of more than one angiogenic signaling system capable of driving tumor angiogenesis. Therefore it is no surprise that the inhibition of just one system is not sufficient to block the formation of new blood vessels in patients.

Dieter Marmé is renowned for his scientific work on molecular biology and tumor biology. At the time of his retirement in 2005 he had spent more than a decade at the Tumor Biology Center in Freiburg, Germany (an institution privately organized and academically linked to the University of Freiburg). He initially joined the Center as Director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine upon its foundation in 1993 and later served as its Director of Research and Chairman of the Board of Directors. After graduating with a Diploma in Physics and Mathematics and gaining a PhD in Biology from the University of Freiburg, Dr. Marmé joined the Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology at the Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg. He subsequently undertook a research assistantship at Harvard University, where he worked in the laboratory of Prof. Winslow Briggs. After returning to the University of Freiburg, he obtained his Habilitation in 1974 and in 1982 was appointed as an Extraordinary Professor in the Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology. In 1983 Dr. Marmé became Head of Pharmacological Biochemistry at Gödecke, a division of Parke-Davis (now Pfizer), and was later promoted to become Head of Biological Research. At that time he was also leading a consortium of researchers and clinicians from the University and the University Medical School in Freiburg as well as from the Max Planck Institute of Immunology in Freiburg to investigate the molecular mechanisms of cancer. Following his move to the Tumor Biology Center, he started a drug development program together with Ciba-Geigy (now Novartis) as a private-public partnership program. Upon retiring from the Tumor Biology Center in 2005, he continued to work for the institution as an Adviser in Oncology and at the same time became a member of the editorial board for various journals in the field of oncology and a consultant for pharmaceutical companies. Since 1989 Dr. Marmé’s research has focused on the roles of growth factors in the mechanisms by which tumor angiogenesis is initiated and propagated, with particular attention to VEGF-dependent angiogenic processes. He is co-editor of the previous Springer book Tumor Angiogenesis: Basic Mechanisms and Cancer Therapy (2008).