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Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are blood-sucking ectoparasites characterized by the extended period of their attachment to their host. To access their bloodmeal, ticks secrete saliva containing a range of molecules that target the host's inflammation, immune system, and hemostatic components. Some of these molecules reportedly possess antiangiogenic and antitumor properties. The present study describes our investigation, the first of its kind, of the antiangiogenic and antitumoral effects of the Hyalomma dromedarii Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), salivary gland extract (SGE), which inhibited the adhesion and migration of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) in a dose-dependent manner, as well as angiogenesis in the Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane model. Interestingly, H. dromedarii SGE exerted an antiproliferative effect on U87 glioblastoma cells and inhibited their adhesion and migration to fibrinogen. These results open up new possibilities for characterizing and developing new molecules involved in the key steps of tumor progression., (© The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

There is a growing body of evidence to support the efficacy of topical imiquimod in the treatment of primary skin carcinomas. Conflicting data exist concerning the use of imiquimod for the treatment of skin melanoma metastases. To date, only the impact of imiquimod on cytokines involved in immunological processes has been studied extensively. We report a woman successfully treated with imiquimod (once daily for 8 weeks) for skin melanoma metastases in whom we investigated the expression of molecules involved in metastasis and angiogenesis. Before and after treatment, a skin lesion was biopsied and the expression of the following molecules was investigated using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction: matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, 2 and 9 and their inhibitors KiSS-1 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor-2, and angiogenesis inhibitors (thrombospondin-1 and 2). Interferon (IFN)-alpha was also investigated as an in vivo marker of imiquimod activity. IFN-alpha was upregulated by the treatment. Under imiquimod, the following molecules were upregulated: TIMP-1, KiSS-1 and MMP-1. MMP-2 expression was not modified. MMP-9 expression was dramatically decreased. The expression of angiogenesis inhibitors was slightly increased but VEGF expression remained at a basal level. These results suggest that imiquimod could downregulate metastasis invasion and angiogenesis. However, these data were obtained at a transcriptional level and from a single case, and further investigations should include migration assays and additional cases in order to confirm that imiquimod may be safely used for treatment of melanoma metastases.

The extracellular matrix plays an important role in many physiological processes. We have identified >20 angiogenic sites in the extracellular matrix protein laminin-1. The most potent sites are A13 (RQVFQVAYIIIKA) and C16 (KAFDITYVRLKF), which are present in homologous NH(2)-terminal domains of the alpha 1 and gamma 1 chains, respectively. We reported recently that a scrambled C16 sequence, C16S (DFKLFAVTIKYR), acts as an antagonist to both peptides. Here, we have identified a stronger antiangiogenic peptide, C16Y (C16S with a T to Y substitution), with potent activity in several biological assays including tumor growth. C16Y is more potent in promoting endothelial cell attachment and inhibiting attachment to laminin-1 than either C16 or C16Y. Disruption of tube formation by C16Y is also observed at concentrations at least five times lower than C16S. The minimal active sequence was found to be DFKLFAVY. C16Y is more potent in blocking C16-induced chick chorioallantoic membrane angiogenesis than C16S. Tumor growth studies on the chick chorioallantoic membrane showed that C16Y reduces breast cancer cell growth without affecting cell proliferation. This result suggests that angiogenesis is being inhibited by the peptide. In vivo animal studies demonstrated that C16Y treatment significantly reduced tumor growth and decreased tumor vessel number, as compared with controls, additionally suggesting that angiogenesis was affected. These results indicate that we have identified a more potent antiangiogenesis inhibitor peptide that may be used as a therapeutic to treat cancer.