Comparative field study evaluating the activity of recombinant factor VIII Fc fusion protein in plasma samples at clinical haemostasis laboratories.

Discrepancies exist for some of the modified coagulation factors when assayed with different one-stage clotting and chromogenic substrate assay reagents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a recombinant factor VIII Fc fusion protein (rFVIIIFc), currently in clinical development for the treatment of severe haemophilia A, in a variety of one-stage clotting and chromogenic substrate assays in clinical haemostasis laboratories. Haemophilic plasma samples spiked with rFVIIIFc or Advate(®) at 0.05, 0.20 or 0.80 IU mL(-1) were tested by 30 laboratories using their routine procedures and plasma standards. Data were evaluated for intra- and inter-laboratory variation, accuracy and possible rFVIIIFc-specific assay discrepancies. For the one-stage assay, mean recovery was 95% to 100% of expected for both Advate(®) and rFVIIIFc at 0.8 IU mL(-1). Intra-laboratory percent coefficient of variance (CV) ranged from 6.3% to 7.8% for Advate(®), and 6.0% to 10.3% for rFVIIIFc. Inter-laboratory CV ranged from 10% for Advate(®) and 16% for rFVIIIFc at 0.8 IU mL(-1), to over 30% at 0.05 IU mL(-1) for both products. For the chromogenic substrate assay, the average FVIII recovery was 107% ± 5% and 124% ± 8% of label potency across the three concentrations of Advate(®) and rFVIIIFc, respectively. Plasma rFVIIIFc levels can be monitored by either the one-stage or the chromogenic substrate assay routinely performed in clinical laboratories without the need for a product-specific rFVIIIFc laboratory standard. Accuracy by the one-stage assay was comparable to that of Advate(®), while marginally higher results may be observed for rFVIIIFc when using the chromogenic assay.

Canstatin, a novel matrix-derived inhibitor of angiogenesis and tumor growth.

We isolated and identified an endogenous 24-kDa human basement membrane-derived inhibitor of angiogenesis and tumor growth, termed canstatin. Canstatin, a fragment of the alpha2 chain of type IV collagen, was produced as a recombinant molecule in Escherichia coli and 293 embryonic kidneys cells. Canstatin significantly inhibited human endothelial cell migration and murine endothelial cell tube formation. Additionally, canstatin potently inhibited 10% fetal bovine serum-stimulated endothelial cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, with no inhibition of proliferation or apoptosis observed on non-endothelial cells. Inhibition of endothelial proliferation was not concomitant with a change in extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation. We demonstrate that apoptosis induced by canstatin was associated with a down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic protein, FLIP. Canstatin also suppressed in vivo growth of large and small size tumors in two human xenograft mouse models with histology revealing decreased CD31-positive vasculature. Collectively, these results suggest that canstatin is a powerful therapeutic molecule for suppressing angiogenesis.