Summary
Published in Scientific Reports (2021), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Berta, Judit, et al. Apelin promotes blood and lymph vessel formation and the growth of melanoma lung metastasis
Apelin promotes blood and lymph vessel formation and the growth of melanoma lung metastasis
Research Overview
Apelin, the ligand of the APJ receptor, is overexpressed in several human cancers and drives tumor angiogenesis and growth in many experimental systems. This study investigated apelin signaling in the malignant behavior of cutaneous melanoma using murine B16 and human A375 melanoma lines stably transfected with apelin-encoding or control vectors.
Apelin overexpression significantly increased melanoma cell migration and invasion in vitro without affecting proliferation. In vivo, apelin increased the number and size of lung metastases of murine melanoma cells, and the apelin-overexpressing pulmonary metastases showed higher proliferation rates and higher lymph and blood microvessel densities. The competitive APJ antagonist MM54 significantly attenuated these pro-tumorigenic effects.
Key Discoveries
- Apelin overexpression increased melanoma migration and invasion in vitro, but not proliferation
- In vivo, apelin increased the number and size of lung metastases with higher blood and lymph vessel density
- The APJ antagonist MM54 attenuated apelin's pro-tumorigenic effects
