HGF and gastric carcinoma: A humanized monoclonal antibody that binds the HGF β chain (rilotumumab, or AMG102, developed by Amgen; Figure 1), and inhibits HGF binding to MET, has displayed excellent neutralizing activity in experimental models (Burgess et al., 2006), and is currently tested in several Phase II clinical trials in recurrent glioblastoma, kidney, and gastric carcinoma, and other tumors.1