Anti-tumor effect of epitopic peptides of vascular endothelial growth factor in vitro

Objective:This study was to get several peptides of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) which were designed by computer simulation and the specific anti-tumor peptides were selected to use in tumor inhibition.Methods:The peptides were designed and displayed in the surface of phages by using phage display system.Anti-tumor and anti-vascular endothelial cell effects of the peptides on B16 and human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC) were analyzed with MTT assay.Tumor cell migration assay was applied to analyze the activities of the peptides with Transwell model on B16F10 cells.Vascular endothelial cell tube formation assay was applied to analyze the effects of the peptide on HUVEC with ECM gel model.Results:It was shown by in vitro experiments that 4 peptides had anti-tumor functions against B16,especially VEB and VTB,whose inhibitory rate were 75.7% and 66.5%.Besides,the inhibitory rate of VNB to HUVEC was 64.8%.All of the peptides had significant effect of anti-migration in B16F10 and the anti-migration rate was beyond 80%.Conclusion:The peptides have significant inhibitory effects on proliferation,migration and tube formation of Melanoma cells and vascular endothelial cells in vitro.They are probably helpful to develop new anti-tumor drugs and anti-tumor vaccines in the future.