Antitumor effect of FP3 in a breast cancer xenograft model

FP3 is a novel vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) blocker proposed to have antiangiogenic properties. Previous studies revealed that FP3 is a new promising agent for treating human choroidal neovascularization (CNV)-associated age-associated macular degeneration (AMD) and has an inhibitory effect on VEGF-mediated proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and VEGF-mediated vessel sprouting of the rat aortic ring in vitro. Previous studies have also revealed that FP3 has antitumor effects and antiangiogenic effects in a non-small cell lung cancer cell line (A549), as well as in patient-derived tumor tissue xenograft models of gastric cancer and colon carcinoma with lymphatic and hepatic metastases in nude mice. In the present study, the antitumor effect of FP3 in an MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenograft model was investigated. Treatment with FP3 for 3 weeks significantly suppressed xenograft growth and this inhibition was associated with a significant decrease in angiogenesis and direct inhibition of tumor cells. The results of the present study indicate that FP3 inhibits breast cancer tumor growth via the indirect inhibition of angiogenesis as well as a direct effect on tumor cells.