Anticancer activity of FTY720: phosphorylated FTY720 inhibits autotaxin, a metastasis-enhancing and angiogenic lysophospholipase D

Cancer Lett. 2008 Aug 8;266(2):203-8. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2008.02.052. Epub 2008 Apr 18.

Abstract

FTY720 is an immunomodulator that is phosphorylated in vivo and inhibits lymphocyte mobilization by targeting sphingosine 1-phospate receptors. At doses higher than required for immunomodulation, FTY720 inhibits tumor progression through an unknown mechanism. Here we show that FTY720-phosphate is a competitive inhibitor (Ki approximately 0.2microM) of autotaxin (ATX or NPP2), a nucleotide phosphodiesterase/pyrophosphatase (NPP) that enhances metastasis and angiogenesis and acts as a lysophospholipase D to produce the lipid mediator lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). FTY720-phosphate did no affect the activity of NPP1, the closest relative of ATX. After oral administration in mice, FTY720 (3mg/kg) significantly reduced plasma LPA levels. These results suggest that FTY720 may exert its anticancer effects, at least in part, by targeting the ATX-LPA axis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lysophospholipids / blood
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Multienzyme Complexes / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Multienzyme Complexes / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic
  • Organophosphates / chemistry
  • Organophosphates / pharmacology*
  • Phosphodiesterase I / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Phosphodiesterase I / metabolism
  • Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / metabolism*
  • Pyrophosphatases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Pyrophosphatases / metabolism
  • Sphingosine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Sphingosine / chemistry
  • Sphingosine / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • FTY 720P
  • Lysophospholipids
  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • Organophosphates
  • Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
  • Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases
  • Phosphodiesterase I
  • alkylglycerophosphoethanolamine phosphodiesterase
  • Pyrophosphatases
  • Sphingosine
  • lysophosphatidic acid