Inhibition of chronic and acute skin inflammation by treatment with a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor

C Halin, H Fahrngruber, JG Meingassner… - The American journal of …, 2008 - Elsevier
C Halin, H Fahrngruber, JG Meingassner, G Bold, A Littlewood-Evans, A Stuetz, M Detmar
The American journal of pathology, 2008Elsevier
Although vascular remodeling is a hallmark of many chronic inflammatory disorders,
antivascular strategies to treat these conditions have received little attention to date. We
investigated the effects of a newly identified vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
receptor tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, NVP-BAW2881, on endothelial cell function in vitro and its
anti-inflammatory activity in different animal models. NVP-BAW2881 inhibited proliferation,
migration, and tube formation by human umbilical vein endothelial cells and lymphatic …
Although vascular remodeling is a hallmark of many chronic inflammatory disorders, antivascular strategies to treat these conditions have received little attention to date. We investigated the effects of a newly identified vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, NVP-BAW2881, on endothelial cell function in vitro and its anti-inflammatory activity in different animal models. NVP-BAW2881 inhibited proliferation, migration, and tube formation by human umbilical vein endothelial cells and lymphatic endothelial cells in vitro. In a transgenic mouse model of psoriasis, NVP-BAW2881 reduced the number of blood and lymphatic vessels and infiltrating leukocytes in the skin, and normalized the epidermal architecture. NVP-BAW2881 also displayed strong anti-inflammatory effects in models of acute inflammation; pretreatment with topical NVP-BAW2881 significantly inhibited VEGF-A-induced vascular permeability in the skin of pigs and mice. Furthermore, topical application of NVP-BAW2881 reduced the inflammatory response elicited in pig skin by UV-B irradiation or by contact hypersensitivity reactions. These results demonstrate for the first time that VEGF receptor tyrosine-kinase inhibitors might be used to treat patients with inflammatory skin disorders such as psoriasis.
Elsevier