What is "angiogenesis inhibitor"

n. a drug that is designed to prevent the growth of blood vessels that nourish tumors

An angiogenesis inhibitor is a substance that inhibits the growth of new blood vessels ( angiogenesis). Some angiogenesis inhibitors are endogenous and a normal part of the body's control and others are obtained exogenously through pharmaceutical drugs or diet.

Angiogenesis inhibitors were once thought to have potential as a " silver bullet" treatment applicable to many types of cancer, but the limitations of anti-angiogenic therapy have been shown in practice. Nonetheless, inhibitors are used to effectively treat cancer, macular degeneration in the eye, and other diseases that involve a proliferation of blood vessels.