The disintegrin tzabcanin inhibits adhesion and migration in melanoma and lung cancer cells

Integrins play an essential role in cancer survival and invasion, and they have been major targets in drug development and design. Disintegrins are small (4–16 kDa) viperid snake venom proteins that exhibit a canonical integrin-binding site (often RGD). These non-enzymatic proteins inhibit integrin-mediated cell–cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, making them potential candidates as therapeutics in cancer and numerous other human disorders. The present study examined the cytotoxic, anti-adhesion, and anti-migration effects of a recently characterized disintegrin, tzabcanin, towards melanoma (A-375) and lung (A-549) cancer cell lines. Tzabcanin inhibits adhesion of both cells lines to vitronectin and exhibited very weak cytotoxicity towards A-375 cells; however, it had no effect on cell viability of A-549 cells. Further, tzabcanin significantly inhibited migration of both cell lines in cell scratch/wound healing assays. Flow cytometric analysis indicates that both A-375 and A-549 cell lines express integrin αvβ3, a critical integrin in tumor motility and invasion, and a major receptor of the extracellular matrix protein vitronectin. Flow cytometric analysis also identified αvβ3 as a binding site of tzabcanin. These results suggest that tzabcanin may have utility in the development of anticancer therapies, or may be used as a biomarker to detect neoplasms that over-express integrin αvβ3.