title: Species-specific urokinase receptor ligands reduce glioma growth and increase survival primarily by an antiangiogenesis mechanism.
abstract: Species-specific urokinase receptor (uPAR) ligands with improved pharmacokinetics were generated by site-specific mutagenesis and amino-terminal pegylation. These molecules were used to probe the role of uPAR in brain tumor progression and angiogenesis. The ligands blocked endothelial cell tube formation in Matrigel in a species-specific manner and reduced both baseline and uPA amino-terminal fragment-stimulated cell migration on vitronectin gradients. Treatment of U87MG gliomas implanted orthotopically in mice with single species-specific or combination uPAR ligands resulted in significant decreases in tumor size, which translated to increases in survival time, and which were most significant when the murine-specific ligand was included. Further analysis of tumors showed that the reduced sizes were correlated with a decrease in tumor cell proliferation and mean vessel density and an increase in tumor cell apoptosis. In addition, a large increase in collagen deposition was observed in the treated groups. Statistical analysis showed that the combination therapy demonstrated a clear synergy as compared to the individual agent treatments. These results suggest that the major role of the uPAR system in brain tumor progression is in the stromal compartment and particularly in neovascularization, a hallmark of invasive brain tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA.
authors.forename: Xingyao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.forename: Vazgen
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Khankaldyyan
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gonzales-Gomez
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Groshen
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Shaoqiu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhuo
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Stratton
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Walter E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Laug
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005910:Glioma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D013045:Species Specificity; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; C524898:PLAUR protein, human; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C524899:Plaur protein, mouse; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator