Tumor Angiogenesis Targets Antimetastatic Study

Angiogenesis is a vital, regulated process in reproduction, development and wound repair. In certain disease states, such as cancer and inflammation, unregulated angiogenesis may take place. The development of new capillary vessels is essential for providing tumor cells with nutrients and energy required for rapid proliferation. The process of tumor metastasis also requires angiogenesis. Therefore, tumor related angiogenesis provides an attractive new target for the development of anticancer and antimetastatic therapeutics. Many preclinical results for angiogenesis inhibitors have provided strong support for the potential of this approach to cancer treatment. Since their mechanism of action is unique, angiogenesis inhibitors may be useful in combination with exsiting cancer therapeutics.We investigated the activity of boanmycin (bleomycin A₆) and its combination with minocycline, an angiogenesis inhibitor, against tumor cells in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo. The mechanisms of potentiation of boanmycin by minocycline were also explored. In order to screen highly specific angiogenesis inhibitor, a putative immortalized microvascular endothelial cell line was established by DNA recombinant and gene transferring techniques. The experimental results are as follows:The cytotoxicity of boanmycin alone or combination with minocycline to PG cells, a cell line derived from human giant...