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Vascular disrupting agents (VDA) cause acute shutdown of abnormal established tumor vasculature, followed by massive intratumoral hypoxia and necrosis. However, a viable rim of tumor tissue invariably remains from which tumor regrowth rapidly resumes. We have recently shown that an acute systemic mobilization and homing of bone marrow-derived circulating endothelial precursor (CEP) cells could promote tumor regrowth following treatment with either a VDA or certain chemotherapy drugs. The molecular mediators of this systemic reactive host process are unknown. Here, we show that following treatment of mice with OXi-4503, a second-generation potent prodrug derivative of combretastatin-A4 phosphate, rapid increases in circulating plasma vascular endothelial growth factor, stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1), and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) levels are detected. With the aim of determining whether G-CSF is involved in VDA-induced CEP mobilization, mutant G-CSF-R(-/-) mice were treated with OXi-4503. We found that as opposed to wild-type controls, G-CSF-R(-/-) mice failed to mobilize CEPs or show induction of SDF-1 plasma levels. Furthermore, Lewis lung carcinomas grown in such mice treated with OXi-4503 showed greater levels of necrosis compared with tumors treated in wild-type mice. Evidence for rapid elevations in circulating plasma G-CSF, vascular endothelial growth factor, and SDF-1 were also observed in patients with VDA (combretastatin-A4 phosphate)-treated cancer. These results highlight the possible effect of drug-induced G-CSF on tumor regrowth following certain cytotoxic drug therapies, in this case using a VDA, and hence G-CSF as a possible therapeutic target.

Original publication

DOI

10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-0381

Type

Journal article

Journal

Cancer Res

Publication Date

01/10/2009

Volume

69

Pages

7524 - 7528

Keywords

Animals, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized, Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols, Bevacizumab, Chemokine CXCL12, Diphosphates, Endothelial Cells, Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization, Humans, Melanoma, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Nude, Mice, Transgenic, Neoplasms, Prodrugs, Stem Cells, Stilbenes, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A, Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays