title: Focal adhesion kinase inhibitors are potent anti-angiogenic agents.
abstract: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase and scaffold protein localized to focal adhesions, is uniquely positioned at the convergence point of integrin and receptor tyrosine kinase signal transduction pathways. FAK is overexpressed in many tumor cells, hence various inhibitors targeting its activity have been tested for anti-tumor activity. However, the direct effects of these pharmacologic agents on the endothelial cells of the vasculature have not been examined. Using primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), we characterized the effects of two FAK inhibitors, PF-573,228 and FAK Inhibitor 14 on essential processes for angiogenesis, such as migration, proliferation, viability and endothelial cell tube formation. We observed that treatment with either FAK Inhibitor 14 or PF-573,228 resulted in reduced HUVEC viability, migration and tube formation in response to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Furthermore, we found that PF-573,228 had the added ability to induce apoptosis of endothelial cells within 36 h post-drug administration even in the continued presence of VEGF stimulation. FAK inhibitors also resulted in modification of the actin cytoskeleton within HUVEC, with observed increased stress fiber formation in the presence of drug. Given that endothelial cells were sensitive to FAK inhibitors at concentrations well below those reported to inhibit tumor cell migration, we confirmed their ability to inhibit endothelial-derived FAK autophosphorylation and FAK-mediated phosphorylation of recombinant paxillin at these doses. Taken together, our data indicate that small molecule inhibitors of FAK are potent anti-angiogenic agents and suggest their utility in combinatorial therapeutic approaches targeting tumor angiogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1H 8L6.
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cabrita
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Quizi
authors.forename: Luc A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sabourin
authors.forename: Bruce C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.forename: Christina L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Addison
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015363:Quinolones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013450:Sulfones / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: C521108:6-(4-(3-(methylsulfonyl)benzylamino)-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-2-ylamino)-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D015363:Quinolones; D013450:Sulfones; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
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