1. Synergistic antitumor activity of a DLL4/VEGF bispecific therapeutic antibody in combination with irinotecan in gastric cancer
- Author
-
Seok-Jun Kim, Kyung-Hee Chun, Hyunwoo Park, Sanghoon Lee, Seul Lee, Kim Dongin, Hyeok Gu Kang, Weon-Kyoo You, Da-Hyun Kim, Ahn Jinhyung, Han Woong Lee, Eunsin Ha, and Dong-Hoon Yoem
- Subjects
Angiogenesis ,Population ,Synergistic antitumor effect ,Notch signaling pathway ,Irinotecan ,Biochemistry ,Article ,DLL4/VEGF bispecific therapeutic antibody ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Cancer stem cell ,medicine ,education ,Molecular Biology ,0303 health sciences ,education.field_of_study ,Cell growth ,Chemistry ,030302 biochemistry & molecular biology ,Kinase insert domain receptor ,General Medicine ,Vascular endothelial growth factor ,cardiovascular system ,Cancer research ,Gastric cancer ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Notch signaling has been identified as a critical pathway in gastric cancer (GC) progression and metastasis, and inhibition of Delta-like ligand 4 (DLL4), a Notch ligand, is suggested as a potent therapeutic approach for GC. Expression of both DLL4 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) was similar in the malignant tissues of GC patients. We focused on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a known angiogenesis regulator and activator of DLL4. Here, we used ABL001, a DLL4/VEGF bispecific therapeutic antibody, and investigated its therapeutic effect in GC. Treatment with human DLL4 therapeutic antibody (anti-hDLL4) or ABL001 slightly reduced GC cell growth in monolayer culture; however, they significantly inhibited cell growth in 3D-culture, suggesting a reduction in the cancer stem cell population. Treatment with anti-hDLL4 or ABL001 also decreased GC cell migration and invasion. Moreover, the combined treatment of irinotecan with anti-hDLL4 or ABL001 showed synergistic antitumor activity. Both combination treatments further reduced cell growth in 3D-culture as well as cell invasion. Interestingly, the combination treatment of ABL001 with irinotecan synergistically reduced the GC burden in both xenograft and orthotopic mouse models. Collectively, DLL4 inhibition significantly decreased cell motility and stem-like phenotype and the combination treatment of DLL4/VEGF bispecific therapeutic antibody with irinotecan synergistically reduced the GC burden in mouse models. Our data suggest that ABL001 potentially represents a potent agent in GC therapy. Further biochemical and pre-clinical studies are needed for its application in the clinic. [BMB Reports 2020; 53(10): 533-538].
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF