Beta-35 is a transferrin-derived inhibitor of angiogenesis and tumor growth.

An angiogenesis inhibitor named Beta-35 has been identified and purified from the conditioned medium of mouse pancreatic ß cells tumor cells. Beta-35 has a molecular weight of 35 kDa and inhibits DNA synthesis of bovine capillary endothelial cells at a half-maximal concentration of approximately 5 nM. It shows anti-angiogenic activity in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane at a dose of about 1 µg/embryo. Amino acid microsequencing and mass spectrometric analysis of the purified protein demonstrate that Beta-35 contains the first 314 residues of the N-terminal sequence of bovine transferrin. We have cloned and expressed this protein in Escherichia coli using the corresponding gene segment of Beta-35 contained in the cDNA of human transferrin. The recombinant protein of Beta-35 shows significant anti-tumor activity at a dose of 5mg/kg/day against human pancreatic cancer or melanoma implanted subcutaneously in SCID mice.

Sucrose octasulfate regulates fibroblast growth factor-2 binding, transport, and activity: potential for regulation of tumor growth.

The antithrombotic activity of heparin has largely been credited with the success found in some cancer treatment by heparin. There are, however, many potent growth factors involved in tumor and blood vessel growth that bind to heparin with high affinity and their regulation by heparin may play a role in heparin's efficacy. We therefore chose to study the activity of a heparin analog, sucrose octasulfate (SOS), which has been similarly shown to interact with heparin-binding growth factors. Using mouse melanoma and lung carcinoma models, we demonstrate in vivo inhibition of tumor growth by SOS. SOS, however, showed little effect in coagulation assays indicating that this activity was not a primary mechanism of action for this molecule. Studies were then performed to assess the effect of SOS on basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) activity, a growth factor which promotes tumor and blood vessel growth and is produced by B16 melanoma cells. SOS potently inhibited FGF-2 binding to endothelial cells and stripped pre-bound FGF-2 from cells. SOS also regulated FGF-2 stimulated proliferation. Further, SOS facilitated FGF-2 diffusion through Descemet's membrane, a heparan sulfate-rich basement membrane from the cornea, suggesting a possible role in FGF-2 clearance. Our results suggest that molecules such as SOS have the potential to remove growth factors from tumor microenvironments and the approach offers an attractive area for further study.

Clinical relevance of maspin expression in bladder cancer.

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder is a solid tumor that induces angiogenesis to maintain nutrition and oxygenation of tumor cells. Maspin, a serpin with tumor suppressing activity, has recently been identified as an inhibitor of angiogenesis. This study examined the impact of maspin expression in the growth pattern of TCC of the bladder. Maspin was identified in a panel of normal tissues, in several bladder carcinoma cell lines, and 51 patient samples of TCC of the bladder. Expression was detected by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the level of maspin was correlated to the growth rate of bladder tumor cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Maspin expression was found in high quantities in normal urothelium. Maspin expression was preserved in superficial bladder cancers but was significantly diminished in invasive carcinomas. Within the group of invasive TCCs, maspin expression was inversely correlated to the patient prognosis. Furthermore, low maspin expression level was coupled to an increased tumor cell growth in vivo. Down-regulation of maspin expression seems to be a specific event in the progression of invasive bladder carcinoma. Maspin might be a useful marker to determine the prognosis of invasive TCC. Furthermore, maspin re-expression might become a therapeutic option in the treatment of invasive, metastatic TCC.

An endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis derived from a transitional cell carcinoma: clipped beta2-glycoprotein-I.

BACKGROUND: Invasive cell carcinoma of the bladder often develops after complete transurethral excision of superficial transitional cell carcinoma. It has been postulated that primary tumors release angiogenesis-blocking proteins which suppress distant metastases. We have identified an endogenous protein which might be responsible for tumor dormancy. METHODS: A transitional cell carcinoma cell line was developed (UMUC-3i) which inhibits the growth of a tumor implant at a distant site in SCID mice. Conditioned media of UMUC-3i cultured cells was first pooled and then fractioned, and the capacity of individual components to block endothelial cell growth was tested. The protein fraction responsible for blocking endothelial cell growth was identified by N-terminal amino acid sequencing as well as by mass-spectrometry. The effects of the purified protein in preventing endothelial cell proliferation and tube formation in an in vitro angiogenesis assay was investigated. RESULTS: The plasma protein beta(2)-glycoprotein-I (beta(2)gpI) was isolated and identified from conditioned medium of UMUC-3i cultured cells. Based on the in vitro angiogenesis assay, beta(2)gpI strongly inhibited endothelial cell growth and tube formation, whereby the inhibitory activity corresponded to the clipped version of beta(2)gpI (cbeta(2)gpI). Clipping was induced by adding plasmin at a molar ratio 1:15 (plasmin:substrate). Further analysis indicated that cbeta(2)gpI effects were mediated by annexin II surface receptors expressed on endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: cbeta2gpI may be involved in blocking angiogenic processes and bladder cancer progression. In this case, cbeta2gpI may be a promising tool in bladder cancer therapy.

Angiogenesis inhibition by angiostatin, endostatin and TNP-470 prevents cyclophosphamide induced cystitis.

Angiogenesis, the induction of vessel growth is involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes. While the anti-tumor effect of angiogenesis inhibitors has been extensively investigated in malignant tumors, there is very little information on the effect of angiogenesis inhibitors on inflammation induced angiogenesis. In this report, we utilized a murine model of acute chemically induced cystitis to investigate the ability of three different angiogenesis inhibitors, angiostatin, endostatin and TNP-470, to inhibit the angiogenesis stimulated by this injury. We demonstrate herein, that prophylactic application of the angiogenesis inhibitors led to a significant reduction of each of the inflammatory parameters that were measured. We conclude that anti-angiogenic therapy with angiostatin, endostatin and TNP-470 inhibits inflammation associated angiogenesis induced in this model. We also propose that anti-angiogenic agents may serve as a valuable addition to a standard cyclophosphamid chemotherapy regimen to help reduce the chemotherapy-related side effects while potentially adding an anti-tumor effect.