Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy shows antitumor activity against various types of solid cancers. Several resistance mechanisms against anti-VEGF therapy have been elucidated; however, little is known about the mechanisms by which the acquired resistance arises. Here, we developed new anti-VEGF therapy-resistant models driven by chronic expression of the mouse VEGFR2 extracellular domain fused with the human IgG4 fragment crystallizable (Fc) region (VEGFR2-Fc). In the VEGFR2-Fc-expressing resistant tumors, we demonstrated that the FGFR2 signaling pathway was activated, and pericytes expressing high levels of FGF2 were co-localized with endothelial cells. Lenvatinib, a multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitor including VEGFR and FGFR inhibition, showed marked antitumor activity against VEGFR2-Fc-expressing resistant tumors accompanied with a decrease in the area of tumor vessels and suppression of phospho-FGFR2 in tumors. Our findings reveal the key role that intercellular FGF2 signaling between pericytes and endothelial cells plays in maintaining the tumor vasculature in anti-VEGF therapy-resistant tumors.Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy, such as anti-VEGF antibody (Ab), anti-VEGFR2 Ab, and multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting VEGFR2, has been used to treat various types of solid cancers for over a decade. Despite massive efforts, the mechanisms of acquired resistance to anti-VEGF therapy are still not completely understood 1,2 .Other angiogenic factors such as fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) 3,4 , angiopoietins 5,6 , and platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) 7-9 have been reported to induce tumor angiogenesis as a single factor or in crosstalk with VEGF 10 . Upregulation of FGFs by chronic anti-VEGF therapy has been reported in the RIP1-Tag2 mouse (a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor model) treated by DC101 (an anti-VEGFR2 Ab) 11 , and in a human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma xenograft tumor model treated by bevacizumab (an anti-VEGFA Ab) 12 . In a study of MCaIV syngeneic tumor models, cancer-associated fibroblasts and adipocytes expressed FGF2 and mediated resistance to anti-mouse VEGF Ab B20 13 . In addition, in the Y-MESO-14 (human malignant pleural mesothelioma cell line) xenograft tumor model, fibrocyte-like cells mediated the resistance to bevacizumab by producing FGF2 14 . In contrast, concurrent inhibition of VEGFR and FGFR by a chimeric dual decoy receptor enhanced antitumor activity in A549 (human lung cancer cell line) and Caki-1 (human renal cancer cell line) xenograft tumor models 15 . These results suggest that the FGF signaling pathway contributes to resistance to anti-VEGF therapy; however, it is largely unknown how the FGF signaling pathway becomes activated when tumors acquire resistance to anti-VEGF therapy. Recently, the role of the VEGF signaling pathway in cancer immunity has received increased attention because of the promising combination antitumor activity of anti-VEGF therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors in pre-clinica...