Angiogenesis of endothelial cells is speculated to represent a key step in the growth of tumors. A growing tumor may switch to the angiogenic phenotype, induce the formation of new capillaries, and start to invade the surrounding tissue. Tumor angioge...
Angiogenesis of endothelial cells is speculated to represent a key step in the growth of tumors. A growing tumor may switch to the angiogenic phenotype, induce the formation of new capillaries, and start to invade the surrounding tissue. Tumor angiogenesis is a process that requires migration, proliferation and differentiation of endothelial cells. CD99 protein, a 32kD integral membrane protein, is expressed in most endothelial cells suggesting that CD99 plays a role in angiogensis. In this study, the effects of CD99 signaling on angiogenesis and tumor growth were investigated. CD99-Fc fusion proteins and CD99 peptide I- III, which contain an excellular domain from amino acid 89 to 107 of CD99, inhibit the adhesion of mouse brain endothelial bEND.3 cells to extracellular matrix (ECM) and their invasion through ECM. However, they do not block the proliferation of bEND.3 cells. CD99-peptides I - III inhibited the motility and aggregation of bEND.3 cells on the matrigel. The inhibitory effects of CD99-peptide I and II on the tube formation of bEND3 cells was partly restored by over-expression of dominant negative forms of CD99 or transfection of CD99 siRNA. The injection of CD99 peptide I suppressed the growth of mouse melanoma cells, B16-F10, in the nude mouse. These results suggest that CD99-Fc fusion proteins and CD99-peptide I - III reduce tumor angiogenesis through the inhibition of ECM adhesion and migration of endothelial cells.