Monoclonal antibody to vascular endothelial-cadherin is a potent inhibitorof angiogenesis, tumor growth, and metastasis

Vascular endothelial-cadherin (VE-cad) is an endothelial cell-specific adhe sion molecule that is crucial for proper assembly of vascular tubes. Here w e show that a monoclonal antibody (BV13) directed to the extracellular regi on of VE-cad inhibits formation of adherens junctions and capillary-like st ructures by endothelial cells and blocks angiogenesis In the mouse cornea a nd in Matrigel plugs in vivo. Systemic administration of BV13 markedly decr eases the growth of s.c. Lewis lung or human A431 epidermoid tumors and str ongly suppresses the growth of Lewis lung metastases. These data demonstrat e that VE-cad is essential for postnatal angiogenesis and thus validate VE- cad as a novel target for antiangiogenesis agents.