Napoleone Ferrara
University of California, San Diego
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Primary Section: 41, Medical Genetics, Hematology, and Oncology Secondary Section: 42, Medical Physiology and Metabolism Membership Type:
Member
(elected 2006)
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Research Interests
My main research interests are the biology of angiogenesis and the identification of its regulators. In 1989 we reported the isolation and cDNA cloning of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and proposed that this molecule plays a unique role in the regulation of angiogenesis. My laboratory subsequently focused on the investigation of the molecular and biological properties of VEGF. In 1993 we reported that inhibition of VEGF suppresses tumor growth in vivo. These findings represented the first direct evidence that inhibition of angiogenesis may block tumor growth. These studies also led to the development of a humanized anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody (bevacizumab) as a cancer therapy. Bevacizumab has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer, in combination with chemotherapy. Also, we investigated the role of VEGF in intraocular neovascular disorders. These studies resulted in the clinical development of a humanized anti-VEGF Fab (ranibizumab), which was recently approved by the FDA for the therapy of neovascular age-related macular degeneration. We are also investigating mechanisms of tumor angiogenesis alternative to VEGF. A recent line of research in our laboratory is the regulation of organ-specific angiogenesis.
