Anti-FUT4 monoclonal antibody, clone NFN-269

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important factor in lung cancer metastasis, and targeting EMT is a potential therapeutic strategy. Fucosyltransferase IV (FUT4) and its synthetic cancer sugar antigen Lewis Y (LeY) was abnormally elevated in many cancers. In this study, a traditional Chinese medicine ginsenoside Rg3 was used to investigate whether its inhibition to EMT and invasion of lung cancer is by the glycobiology mechanism. We found that Rg3 treatment (25, 50, 100 mu g/ml) inhibited cell migration and invasion by wound-healing and transwell assays. Rg3 could significantly alter EMT marker proteins with increased E-cadherin, but decreased Snail, N-cadherin and Vimentin expression. Rg3 also down-regulated FUT4 gene and protein expression in lung cancer cells by qPCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence. After FUT4 down-regulated with shFUT4, EMT was obviously inhibited. Furthermore, the activation of EGFR through decreased LeY biosynthesis was inhibited, which blocked the downstream MAPK and NF-kappa B signal pathways. In addition, Rg3 reduced tumor volume and weight in xenograft mouse model, and significantly decreased tumor metastasis nodules in lung tissues by tail vein injection. In conclusion, Rg3 inhibits EMT and invasion of lung cancer by down-regulating FUT4 mediated EGFR inactivation and blocking MAPK and NF-kappa B signal pathways. Rg3 may be a potentially effective agent for the treatment of lung cancer.

Breast cancer tissue overexpresses fucosylated glycans, such as sialyl-Lewis X/A (sLe(X/A)), and alpha-1,3/4-fucosyltransferases (FUTs) in relation to increased disease progression and metastasis. These glycans in tumor circulating cells mediate binding to vascular E-selectin, initiating tumor extravasation. However, their role in breast carcinogenesis is still unknown. Here, we aimed to define the contribution of the fucosylated structures, including sLe(X/A), to cell adhesion, cell signaling, and cell proliferation in invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC), the most frequent type of breast cancer. We first analyzed expression of E-selectin ligands in IDC tissue and established primary cell cultures from the tissue. We observed strong reactivity with E-selectin and anti-sLe(X/A) antibodies in both IDC tissue and cell lines, and expression of alpha-1,3/4 FUTs FUT4, FUT5, FUT6, FUT10, and FUT11. To further assess the role of fucosylation in IDC biology, we immortalized a primary IDC cell line with human telomerase reverse transcriptase to create the 'CF1_T cell line'. Treatment with 2-fluorofucose (2-FF), a fucosylation inhibitor, completely abrogated its sLe(X/A) expression and dramatically reduced adherence of CF1_T cells to E-selectin under hemodynamic flow conditions. In addition, 2-FF-treated CF1_T cells showed a reduced migratory ability, as well as decreased cell proliferation rate. Notably, 2-FF treatment lowered the growth factor expression of CF1_T cells, prominently for FGF2, vascular endothelial growth factor, and transforming growth factor beta, and negatively affected activation of signal-regulating protein kinases 1 and 2 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. These data indicate that fucosylation licenses several malignant features of IDC, such as cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and growth factor expression, contributing to tumor progression.