Design, Synthesis and Anti-Melanoma Activity of Novel Annexin V Derivative with β(3)-Integrin Affinity

Tumor tissues often exhibit unique integrin receptor presentation during development, such as high exposures of α(v)β(3) and α(IIb)β(3) integrins. These features are not present in normal tissues. The induction of selective thrombosis and infarction in the tumor-feeding vessels, as well as specific antagonism of α(v)β(3) integrin on the surface of tumor endothelial cells, is a potential novel antitumor strategy. The Echistatin–Annexin V (EAV) fusion protein is a novel Annexin V (ANV) derivative that possesses a high degree of α(v)β(3) and α(IIb)β(3) integrin receptor recognition and binding characteristics while retaining the specific binding ability of the natural ANV molecule for phosphatidylserine (PS). We systematically investigated the biological effects of this novel molecule with superimposed functions on mouse melanoma. We found that EAV inhibited the viability and migration of B16F10 murine melanoma cells in a dose-dependent manner, exhibited good tumor suppressive effects in a xenograft mouse melanoma model, strongly induced tumor tissue necrosis in mice, and targeted the inhibition of angiogenesis in mouse melanoma tumor tissue. EAV exhibited stronger biological effects than natural ANV molecules in inhibiting melanoma in mice. The unique biological effects of EAV are based on its high β(3)-type integrin receptor-specific recognition and binding ability, as well as its highly selective binding to PS molecules. Based on these findings, we propose that EAV-mediated tumor suppression is a novel and promising antitumor strategy that targets both PS- and integrin β(3)-positive tumor neovascularization and the tumor cells themselves, thus providing a possible mechanism for the treatment of melanoma.