Aminopeptidase N/CD13 as a Potential Therapeutic Target in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

The European Respiratory Journal [Epub ahead of print] [Link]

Otsuki T et. al.

Abstract

Angiogenesis is a crucial factor in the progression of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), and antiangiogenic strategies might be effective against MPM. Aminopeptidase N/CD13 (APN/CD13) promotes tumour angiogenesis and is associated with poor prognosis; however, its clinical significance in MPM remains unclear.In 37 consecutive patients with surgically resected MPM, we evaluated the association between immunohistochemical APN/CD13 expression in resected tumours and survival. Additionally, the antitumour and antiangiogenic effects of MT95-4, a fully humanized anti-APN/CD13 monoclonal antibody, were evaluated in mice orthotopically implanted with EHMES-10 (abundantly expressing APN/CD13) and MSTO-211H (scarcely expressing APN/CD13) MPM cells.High tumour APN/CD13 expression was associated with poor prognosis in MPM patients (P=0.04), and MT95-4 treatment reduced tumour growth and angiogenesis in mice harbouring EHMES-10, but not MSTO-211H, cells. Furthermore, in mice harbouring EHMES-10 cells, MT95-4 combined with cisplatin more effectively suppressed tumour progression than cisplatin alone.Taken together these results suggested that APN/CD13 is implicated in the aggressiveness of MPM. Here, MT95-4 treatment reduced tumour progression likely by inhibiting angiogenesis, suggesting APN/CD13 as a potential molecular target for MPM treatment. Additionally, combination treatment with MT95-4 and cisplatin could represent a promising approach to treating MPM exhibiting high APN/CD13 expression.