Tumor-Selective Response to Antibody-Mediated Targeting of αvβ3 Integrin in Ovarian Cancer

Abstract

The αvβ3 integrin is expressed on proliferating endothelial cells and some cancer cells, but its expression on ovarian cancer cells and its potential as a therapeutic target are unknown. In this study, expression of the αvβ3 integrin on ovarian cancer cell lines and murine endothelial cells was tested, and the effect of a fully humanized monoclonal antibody against αvβ3, Abegrin (etaracizumab), on cell invasion, viability, tumor growth, and the Akt pathway were examined in vitro and in vivo. We found that etaracizumab recognizes αvβ3 on the ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3ip1, HeyA8, and A2780ip2 (at low levels) but not on murine endothelial cells. Etaracizumab treatment decreased ovarian cancer proliferation and invasion. In vivo, tumor-bearing mice treated with etaracizumab alone gave variable results. There was no effect on A2780ip2 growth, but a 36% to 49% tumor weight reduction in the SKOV3ip1 and HeyA8 models was found (P < .05). However, combined etaracizumab and paclitaxel was superior to paclitaxel in the SKOV3ip1 and A2780ip2 models (by 51–73%, P < .001) but not in the HeyA8 model. Treatment with etaracizumab was then noted to decrease p-Akt and p-mTOR in SKOV3ip1, but not in HeyA8, which is Akt-independent. Tumors resected after therapy showed that etaracizumab treatment reduced the proliferating cell nuclear antigen index but not microvessel density. This study identifies tumor cell αvβ3 integrin as an attractive target and defines the Akt pathway as a predictor of response to function-blocking antibody.