Targeting Tumor Vasculature Using αVEGFR2 Chemically Self-Assembled Nanorings (CSANs)
Abhorrent regulation of angiogenesis is a fundamental process found in several pathological conditions including cancer. Therefore, to counteract tumor angiogenesis, vascular normalization has emerged as a new therapeutic strategy. Vascular normalization involves the use of anti-angiogenic therapeutics to restore proper tumor oxygenation and perfusion to improve the effectiveness of anti-cancer therapeutics. The VEGFR played a vital role in cancer by promoting neovascularization for continuing tumor growth. The objective of this project is to develop anti-VEGFR2 CSANs that incorporate anti-VEGFR2 affibodies to target tumor vasculature and determine their anti-angiogenic properties. The VEGFR2 protein is expressed and purified with IMAC and SEC and evaluated with flow cytometry. The Ability of VEGFR2 CSANs to Inhibit VEGF Induced Signaling and Proliferation is determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and IncuCyte. Consistent with the hypothesis, the VEGFR2 CSANs showed the ability to inhibit VEGFA mediated VEGFR2 expression through reduction of VEGFR2 and ERK1/ERK2 phosphorylation. There was a reduction in VEGFR2+ cell proliferation over time by completing a cell proliferation assay using the IncuCyte