ABSTRACT
On the basis of the origin comparison of known endothelial genesis inhibitors, a 417-bp cDNA fragment was amplified from umbilical cord by RT-PCR and cloned into the expression vector pPIC9, followed by transformation into Pichia pastoris GS115. The resulted yeast was induced with methanol to express recombinant protein. The resulted protein was purified from culture broth and designated as EDI-8t. The in vitro study showed that EDI-8t, originated from collagen VIII, could specifically inhibit the growth and migration of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) stimulated by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The protein also exhibited the activity to cause cell apoptosis. In vivo EDI-8t showed the identical activity comparing with endostatin to inhibit the growth of liver tumor transplanted into nude mice. Interestingly, EDI-8t showed higher activity than endostatin to inhibit tumor growth in metastatic model of melanoma mice.