Research progress in VEGFR-2 inhibitors

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR-2), a member of the super family of protein tyrosine kinase receptors, plays a vital role in the regulation of tumor metastasis and angiogenesis. Several VEGFR-2 inhibitors have been marketed as antitumor drugs and a range of inhibitors are undergoing clinical or preclinical studies. According to the principle of multi-targeted pharmacolgy, in the field of tumor treatment, nonselective drugs targeting on more than one kinase to inhibit different cell pathways can be more effective than drugs specific for one kinase. Multi-target treatment does not mean abandonment of selectivity, but a precise selectivity for several kinases related to tumor, which is also a big challenge in the development of small molecular antitumor drugs. This paper reviews briefly the advances in research of the VEGFR-2 inhibitors and selectivity strategy in recent years.