PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - MASANORI MASUI AU - TATSUO OKUI AU - TSUYOSHI SHIMO AU - KIYOFUMI TAKABATAKE AU - TAKUYA FUKAZAWA AU - KENICHI MATSUMOTO AU - NAITO KURIO AU - SOICHIRO IBARAGI AU - YOSHIO NAOMOTO AU - HITOSHI NAGATSUKA AU - AKIRA SASAKI TI - Novel Midkine Inhibitor iMDK Inhibits Tumor Growth and Angiogenesis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma DP - 2016 Jun 01 TA - Anticancer Research PG - 2775--2781 VI - 36 IP - 6 4099 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/36/6/2775.short 4100 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/36/6/2775.full SO - Anticancer Res2016 Jun 01; 36 AB - Midkine is a heparin-binding growth factor highly expressed in various human malignant tumors. However, its role in the growth of oral squamous cell carcinoma is not well understood. In this study, we analyzed the antitumor effect of a novel midkine inhibitor (iMDK) against oral squamous cell carcinoma. Administration of iMDK induced a robust antitumor response and suppressed cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma HSC-2 cells and SAS cells xenograft models. iMDK inhibited the proliferation of these cells dose-dependently, as well as the expression of midkine and phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase in HSC-2 and SAS cells. Moreover, iMDK significantly inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor and induced tube growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in a dose-dependent fashion. These findings suggest that midkine is critically involved in oral squamous cell carcinoma and iMDK can be effectively used for the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma.