Targeting IGF-1R in the treatment of sarcomas: Past, present and future

The use of multimodality therapy has resulted in markedly improved cure rates for patients with sarcomas in the past 25 years. However, for virtually all patients with metastatic or recurrent disease, survival remains dismal. The important role that members of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) family play in tumorigenesis has been known for decades. But it has only been in the last five years, that humanized and fully human antibodies targeting insulin-like growth factor receptor 1 (IGF-1R) have been developed. The use of these agents in clinical trials has been accompanied by several dramatic responses in patients with recurrent and refractory sarcomas. In this review, we will focus on preclinical highlights in the past, current clinic trials and discuss some exciting research opportunities to foster advances in the future.