Abstract

SQULAMINE IS AN ANTIANGIOGENIC STEROID: A FUTURE PERSPECTIVE OF CANCER DRUG

Surojit Karmakar and Nirmal Kr. Pradhan*

ABSTRACT

Despite advances in the early detection of tumors and in the use of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery for disease management, the worldwide human mortality remains by cancer. In the field of cancer management, squalamine can be considered as a new frontier of medication. Squalamine(3β-N-1-{N-[3-(4-aminobutyl)]-1,3 diaminopropane)-7α,24R-dihydroxy-5α cholestane 24 sulfate, molecular weight = 628), a cationic aminosterol having spermidine residue at C3 position, first isolated from liver and cartilage tissue of Squalus acanthias and circulating WBC of Petromyzon marinus by Michael A. Zasloff et.al in 1993, is known to have strong antiangiogenic activity in vitro disrupting tumor proliferation and progression. Work on the interactions of squalamine with vascular endothelial cells indicate that it binds with cell membrane, inhibits the membrane Na+/H+ exchanger and may further functions as a calmodulin chaperone. These actions promote inhibition of several vital steps, such as blockade of mitogen induced actin polymerization, cell–cell adhesion and cell migration, leading to suppression of endothelial cell proliferation in angiogenesis and also found to have remarkable effects on the primitive vascular bed of the chick chorioallantoic membrane, which has striking similarities to tumor capillaries. Despite of exhibiting little toxicity, it is well tolerated by patients with various solid tumor malignancies, including ovarian, non-small cell lung and breast cancers. No reports are found regarding the effects on growth of newborn vertebrates. So in human, squalamine may be used to treat tumor and other diseases characterized by neovuscularization in near future.

Keywords: Squalamine, aminosterol, antiangiogenesis, mitogen, tumor, cancer.