Endothelial metalloprotease-disintegrin protein (ADAM) is implicated in angiogenesis in vitro.
Recently two metalloproteinase, disintegrin, cysteine proteins (MDCs), also called ADAMs were identified on endothelial cells. However the role of these ADAMs are not defined on these cells. In order to elucidate whether ADAMs associated with endothelial cells could be involved in angiogenesis, we have tested the effect of an inhibitor of ADAM (GL 129471) in models of angiogenesis in vitro. Our results showed that GL 129471 inhibited endothelial cell migration and adhesion and increased the number of cells in the G2/M phase leading to an inhibition of cell proliferation. The effects of GL 129471 are not mimicked by the endogenous matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor TIMP-2. These data suggest that ADAMs may play important role in angiogenesis and could provide a new target for inhibition of angiogenesis in cancers.