Peter Ochodnický, Peter Křenek, Ján Klimas, Ján Švihra
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents the most frequently diagnosed malignancy of the kidney, being particularly resistant to chemotherapy. Since no diagnostic biomarkers are available, the patients are often diagnosed with metastatic disease displaying more than 40 % mortality. Recently, angiogenesis has been implicated as a key player in the tumorigenesis of RCC. Molecular components of angiogenic pathways might serve as biomarkers with prognostic value or as novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of metastatic disease. Present review summarizes mechanisms involved in the regulation of angiogenesis, their role in the development of RCC and as prognostic markers. Furthermore, we review the use of novel agents interfering with angiogenesis and approved for the treatment of metastatic RCC, such as multiple kinase inhibitors or mTOR inhibitors.