Inhibition of neovascularization to simultaneously ameliorate graft-vs-host disease and decrease tumor growth

J Natl Cancer Inst. 2010 Jun 16;102(12):894-908. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djq172. Epub 2010 May 12.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Blood vessels are formed either by sprouting of resident tissue endothelial cells (angiogenesis) or by recruitment of bone marrow (BM)-derived circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs, vasculogenesis). Neovascularization has been implicated in tumor growth and inflammation, but its roles in graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) and in tumors after allogeneic BM transplantation (allo-BMT) were not known. METHODS We analyzed neovascularization, the contribution of endothelial cells and EPCs, and the ability of anti-vascular endothelial-cadherin antibody, E4G10, to inhibit neovascularization in mice with GVHD after allo-BMT using immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. We examined survival and clinical and histopathologic GVHD in mice (n = 10-25 per group) in which GVHD was treated with the E4G10 antibody using immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and cytokine immunoassay. We also assessed survival, the contribution of green fluorescent protein-marked EPCs to the tumor vasculature, and the ability of E4G10 to inhibit tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice (n = 20-33 per group) after allo-BMT using histopathology and bioluminescence imaging. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS We found increased neovascularization mediated by vasculogenesis, as opposed to angiogenesis, in GVHD target tissues, such as liver and intestines. Administration of E4G10 inhibited neovascularization by donor BM-derived cells without affecting host vascularization, inhibited both GVHD and tumor growth, and increased survival (at 60 days post-BMT and tumor challenge with A20 lymphoma, the probability of survival was 0.29 for control antibody-treated allo-BMT recipients vs 0.7 for E4G10-treated allo-BMT recipients, 95% confidence interval = 0.180 to 0.640, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Therapeutic targeting of neovascularization in allo-BMT recipients is a novel strategy to simultaneously ameliorate GVHD and inhibit posttransplant tumor growth, providing a new approach to improve the overall outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / pharmacology*
  • Antigens, CD / immunology*
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation / adverse effects
  • Cadherins / immunology*
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Graft vs Host Disease / drug therapy*
  • Graft vs Host Disease / prevention & control
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neoplasms / blood supply*
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / drug therapy*
  • Transplantation, Homologous

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antigens, CD
  • Cadherins
  • E4G10 antibody
  • cadherin 5